You've Got Poke-mail!
by bass0bassinum
Summary: Leaf Green, owner of the Sunflora Day Care and Pokemon Centre owner Red are anonymous e-mail friends that have fallen for one another. Unfortunately for them, their two businesses are fierce competitors, leading them to be rivals. How will these two fare in light of these circumstances and will they discover the truth of who they really are? Burnleafshipping/Luckyshipping
1. Chapter 1: A Day in Her Life

**Hello ladies and gentleman! Bass here! Now...I know what you're thinking; I said in my last story that it would be my one and only and yet here I am, writing a new story. Truth is, I just really enjoyed writing my last story and wanted to write another one.**

 **Now, for anyone that's actually seen the movie and if the title wasn't a dead give away, this story is heavily based off the movie _You've Got Mail_. It was on TV one night and as I watched it, I got the idea to make a story based off of it. For those of you who have watched the movie before, I hope you enjoy this retelling of it. For those of you who haven't, all I can say is...you're in for one heck of a ride!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 1: A Day in Her Life

As is expected from life, change happens every day and for the people of the pokemon world, they were experiencing change leaps and bounds. One such change was the invention of PC; a tool that had now become a staple in every home. For some, the PC was a new means of storing multiple pokemon and for others it was a way to store excessive items. However, as great as those two features were, the greatest use of the PC came from the fact that people could now easily send mail to one another through the one feature that connected everyone together; the internet. For many, this meant that they were able to not only able to communicate with people they knew, but also meet and talk with people they had never met face to face before.

This is the story of two unlikely individuals experience with this new feature and how it would change their lives forever.

* * *

It was a cold fall morning as the sun rose over Saffron city and within the walls of a small 3-storey apartment; a young brunette haired girl was still fast asleep.

The girls name was Leaf Green and though few knew her personally, many knew her as the current owner of the Sunflora Day Care Centre; a place that, for many years, has taken care of sick pokemon. For Leaf, most mornings consisted of her peacefully waking up and getting ready for work, but on this particular day…..

"Leaf….LEAF!" She distinctly heard a voice call out to her as she began to open her eyes "Well it's about time you woke up!"

"H-huh…" The girl mumbled as she opened her eyes to reveal a spikey haired individual standing at the foot of her bed with his arms crossed "B-blue?! What are you doing here?" She stammered, surprised to see him.

Blue was Leafs boyfriend. He worked as a researcher at Oak labs and although the two had been dating for a while now, she had to admit that his bluntness made it difficult for the two to get along at times.

"You idiot!" He chuckled as he took out a ring of keys from his pocket "You gave me your key the other day, remember?"

"Oh….that's right….I did…" The girl yawned as she watched him dangle the keys in front of her face.

Blue watched as Leaf slowly crawled out of bed and stretched out "If you must know; I was on my way to work and I thought I'd stop by and see you." He noted, watching her rub her eyes.

"That's…oddly thoughtful of you." Leaf teased, knowing full well that Blue wouldn't just show up for the heck of it "What's the occasion?"

Within seconds of asking that, a large smile formed on Blues face "I wanted to let you know that I'm being promoted to head of research at Oak labs today!" He proudly stated.

"Really? That's awesome!" Leaf happily replied as she opened her blinds to let the sun in "Look Blue! You have a beautiful day for this momentous occasion!

As Leaf stared at everybody walking outside, Blue slowly walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist "You know….this promotion got me thinking….why don't we move in together?" He whispered as he rested his head on her shoulder "You could get out of this small apartment, out of this city…."

Upon hearing that, Leaf shot him a disapproving glance "Blue….you know my stance leaving the city!"

Blue, in turn, narrowed his eyes at her "The day care? Why do you love that thing so much?!" He scoffed as he let go of her waist "Leaf, you have the potential move on to so many bigger opportunities and you never take them!"

Leaf quickly turned around "Blue! My mother left me that day care! I love it with all my heart!" She argued, but Blue dully shook his head at her, unconvinced of the day cares worth.

"Hmph! I don't think I'll ever understand your fascination with it!" He stated, but not wanting to make her angry, quickly conceded "But…if that's what you want then….who am I to say!"

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand!" Leaf happily replied as she pointed up at the clock "Now! You'd better get going! That promotion isn't going to give itself!"

"Right!" Blue nodded as he quickly grabbed his stuff "I'll see you tonight!"

"Yeah! We'll do dinner to celebrate!"

"Sounds good!" Blue called out as he ran out of the room.

Leaf listened as she heard the door close, then slowly peeked out the window and curiously watched as Blue walked down the road. For you see, on top of getting ready for work, there was another morning ritual that she had yet to do and this one was quite important to her.

Once Leaf was sure Blue had left for work, she happily skipped into another room, closed the door behind her and turned on her PC "Oh please be there….please be there…." She pleaded as she connected to the internet and logged into her email account.

For the past few months Leaf had been talking to…..someone over the internet. She had no idea who it was or what they looked like, but she loved talking to this person more than anything and it had gotten to the point that her morning just wouldn't be complete if she didn't.

As the internet finally finished loading, Leafs eyes lit up as the prompt she was waiting for showed up on her screen.

*You have 1 new message*

"YES!" Leaf shouted out and then immediately covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed how loud she was being.

As she slowly clicked her mouse to open the message, Leafs heart started beating faster and faster "Oh boy! Here we go!"

The message read as follows:

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good morning! Or….afternoon….or evening….whenever you read these messages.**

 **You know…I have a confession to make…my username is completely misleading! While I'm not a champion per say….I do believe in the idea that we are all a champion of something….it's just…..finding out what we're a champion of is the real question. For me….personally….I'd say….loving pokemon is what I'm a champion of!**

 **Now…despite me being a champion pokemon lover, I actually only have one pokemon. Granted…said pokemon is all I need. He eats me out of house and home and just recently, has decided that my left shoulder was now to be his bed to sleep on for all hours of the day…..except at 5 am where he loves to reassure me that my inevitable day at work is beginning. He can be picky too; just the other day I went out and bought him an assortment of berries from the local berry shop and guess what he did? Ate all the wacan berries and left the rest! Can you believe that?! I then had this great idea of, instead of trying to force him to eat the rest, I'd put the remaining berries in a bouquet and send them too you…..then I remembered that I don't know your name or address so….yeah….that's out of the question! (Hmm….maybe I'll eat them myself….)**

 **You know…it's strange…I have no idea who you are or what you look like, but I can't imagine a day going by where I don't message you; my day just wouldn't be complete if I didn't!**

 **Hope your day goes over well!**

Leaf couldn't help but giggle as she read through the entire message. Whoever this person was had such an unorthodox way of presenting themselves and Leaf just couldn't get enough of it.

" _I really wish I could meet this person one day…"_ Leaf thought to herself as she typed her response back and sent it off. " _I wonder what he looks like?_ "

With that finished, Leaf quickly got dressed in her usual green tanktop and red skirt before happily walking out the door.

* * *

As she made her way down the street, Leaf stopped at a construction site a few doors down from where she worked. While she had passed the site many times prior, this time was different as there was a sign explaining what was to be built.

"Coming Soon: Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre."

"A….pokemon centre…." Leaf whispered to herself as she looked at the building foundation.

For a small business owner like Leaf, having a big establishment like a pokemon centre so close to her little day care could take a lot of her customers away and could even potentially…..

Leaf quickly shook her head and walked away before the thought could sink in "Whatever…" She mumbled as she made it to her day care and unlocked the front door.

* * *

As Leaf made her way inside, she turned on all the lights and walked to the back where some recovering pokemon were spending the night.

"Hey…are you feeling better today?" Leaf asked a tiny oddish as she poured some medicine made from freshly squeezed berry juice in its mouth.

As she gently petted the top of its leaves, oddish gave Leaf a weak smile as it finally swallowed the juice "I promise you're going to get better soon oddish." She reassured the tiny grass pokemon before making her way to the other pokemon that had stayed the night.

* * *

As Leaf diligently continued to get things ready for the day care to open, she suddenly heard the *Ding* of a bell, signalling that someone had entered the day care.

"Good-morning Leaf!" A voice then called out to her.

Upon looking over, Leaf saw a brown haired girl with a white hat and pigtails standing in the doorway "Hi Lyra!" She greeted "How are you today?"

Lyra had worked with Leaf at the day care for years and although they teased one another quite a bit, the two were great friends.

"Oh fine….ready for another day at work…" Lyra sighed as she watched Leaf happily dance around the store "Why are you so happy today?"

"Oh…..nothing!" Leaf replied as she continued to hum to herself.

Knowing how dumb of a lie that was, Lyra walked over to her friend and nudged her in the side "Surrrreeee!" She cheekily noted "Did something happen between you and Blue?"

"Well….I gave him my key the other day!" Leaf giggled as she stocked the shelves.

Lyra chuckled to herself as she pictured how that scenario played out "Uh-huh….and I'm sure his reaction was **why the hell are you giving me this stupid thing**? Right?"

Leaf narrowed her eyes and pointed at her friend "HEY! I will have you know that Blue is a very sweet and caring guy!" She stated and Lyra couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at that remark.

"…mostly sweet….."

Lyra raised her eyebrows even higher.

"Okay! He's never sweet!" Leaf finally conceded as she watched Lyra howl with laughter "Look! The point is; him and I are great for each other!" She tried her best to explain, but her friend clearly wasn't buying it.

"Uh-huh!" Lyra smirked as she inched closer to Leaf "There's something else…..isn't there?"

Upon hearing that, Leaf stopped stocking the shelves and her eyes started darting from side to side "Okay! Come here!" She said, motioning for Lyra to come closer "I've….umm…..been chatting with someone over the internet!'

Lyras eyes widened "Leaf! You know how dangerous that is!" She whispered back.

"I-it's just e-mailing one another! That's all!" Leaf nervously waved her hands in front of her face while she tried to explain "I don't even know what his name is…"

"Oooh! A mystery person huh?" Lyra chimed in as her curiosity increased "So…how did you two meet?"

"I….don't really remember how it happened…."

Lyra sighed and leaned against the shelf Leaf was stocking "Leaf, you do realize I'm going to stand here all day until you tell me!"

Knowing full well that her friend was going to persist until she told her, Leaf rolled her eyes in defeat "Alright…come closer." She said and whispered in her ear "Remember a few months back when we were taking care of that sick eevee?"

"The one with the rare pokémonitis disease?"

"That's right." Leaf noted "I was completely stumped on how to cure it so I went on an online forum to see if I could get some advice and…..that's where I met him…."

"Wait! Was he the one who suggested that we use the combination of chesto and chilian berries to cure it?" Lyra asked and Leaf reassuringly nodded to her "Yeah! I remember now! And it totally worked!"

A smile formed on Leafs face "After that…we started talking about things like: caring for pokemon, our favorite past times etc…." She explained and paused as she thought back to that fateful day "When him and I eventually gave one another our e-mail addresses, we vowed that out of respect for one another, we would remain anonymous and not share any specific details about the other."

"Wow…this guy sounds like the real deal huh?"

Leaf nodded "I've just never seen such care and compassion in a person before…." She sighed as she looked down at her feet "It's….really….admirable…."

Lyras face lit up as she saw a blush form on Leafs face "Oh my god! You're totally crushing over this mystery person aren't you?"

Leafs eyes quickly widened "I AM NOT!" She yelled at her friend and turned away "L-look! It's just for fun; I'm planning on ending it soon anyway! I don't want things to get out of hand….."

"Oh really?" Lyra slyly remarked "Well…..if that's the case…..can I have him then?"

"WHAT?! No you can't have him! He's…..he's…" Leaf stuttered as she tried to find her words "He's nothing like you! It wouldn't work out!"

As she continued to watch Leaf nervously fidget about, Lyra began to rub her chin in thought "Hmm….why are you being so defensive right no-WAIT A MINUTE!" She yelled out as idea popped in her head "I get it now!"

"Get what?!"

Without warning, an evil smile formed on Lyras face as she loudly proclaimed "YOU'RE HAVING CYBER-SEX! AREN'T YOU!"

Leaf's face turned redder than it ever had been in her life "C-cyber-sex!" She yelled back.

Amused at how embarrassed she was making Leaf feel, Lyra casually put her arm around her friend and continued to tease her "Wow Leaf and you don't even know who you're doing it with! It could be anybody!" She slyly noted, making Leaf even more flustered "OH! What if it's a pokemon pretending to be a guy?"

"WHAT?! T-that's…..that's…." Leaf stuttered as her eyes rapidly darted from side to side "IT'S TOTALLY A GUY YOU FOO-"

*Ding* Leaf was cut off as she heard the sound of the door opening.

"Good morning girls!" An older woman with long blonde hair announced as she entered the day care.

"C-cynthia! G-good morning!" Leaf stammered as she watched the blond hair woman hang up her coat "I didn't know you were coming in today!"

Once champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia discovered the Sunflora Day Care Centre after retiring and moving to Kanto. In the end, she ended up becoming such good friends with Leaf and Lyra that she decided to work part-time for the store.

"What were you two talking about?" Cynthia asked as she watched Leaf and Lyra sheepishly stare at her like they had just broken something.

Not wanting to involve anyone else in their discussion, Leaf nervously began waving her hands in front of her face "N-nothing! It was noth-"

"LEAF'S HAVING CYBER-SEX!" Lyra quickly announced, cutting Leaf off.

Cynthia couldn't help but look at them confused "Cyber….sex?"

"LYRA!" Leaf yelled out and quickly covered her friends mouth with her hand "Don't listen to her Cynthia! She's crazy!"

Cynthia laughed as she watched the two girls struggle with one another "Hey don't worry, I've had cyber-sex before and I could give you some advice if you want Leaf."

Both Leaf and Lyras eyes widened at what they just heard "WHAT?!" They both yelled out in unison.

Cynthia shrugged as she casually walked over to the two of them. "Yeah….but every time I tell my partner who I am, they always get all worried and start rapidly typing **please don't call the authorities on me maam!** "

Neither Leaf nor Lyra knew how to respond to that and just stared at Cynthia in silence as she started to giggle to herself. The giggling became louder and before long, Cynthia was howling with laughter "Come on you two, it was a joke!" She laughed and put her arms around both of them "Do you really think I'd do something like that!"

"I don't know Cynthia!" Lyra teased back "Behind that calm demeanor of yours, I think there's a wild side!"

They all laughed, before Leaf finally pulled herself away "Alright that's enough cyber-sex talk you two! We need to get this place ready to open before the customers come in!"

* * *

The three worked diligently to open the day care and within a few hours, it was packed full of customers.

"Ms. Leaf?" A young boy said as he held his charmander towards her "I think my charmander's sick."

Leaf smiled as she knelt down to the boys level "Aww is he?" She replied and gently petted the fire pokemons head "Let me have a look at him…."

She then took the charmander in her arms and scanned it over "Hmm….his tail flame's a little weak….." Leaf noticed "A tamato berry should fix him up in no time!"

Overcome with relief, the boys worried expression quickly turned into a smile "Did you hear that charmander? You're going to be okay!"

"Char! Char!" Charmander happily replied.

Leaf then turned to Lyra, who was helping other customers "Lyra, do we have any tamato berries left?" She called out to her friend.

"Should be some in the back pantry!" Lyra yelled back.

"Thanks!" Leaf replied as she quickly ran to the back of the day care and into the room where all the berries were kept.

* * *

As she turned on the lights, Leaf was surprised at how many of the shelves were bare "Wow….we're really running low on berries…" She noted as she scanned the shelves up and down "Let's see…."

Leaf reached up to one of the high shelves in hopes of finding a tamato berry, but ended up pulling down a bright yellow berry instead.

"T-this…" She whispered as she looked at the berry she just pulled down "It's…a wacan….berry….."

Just then, Leaf felt her face go flush as she thought back to the message she had read earlier that day " _I wonder what he…..NO! Get you head out of the clouds Leaf!_ " She sternly thought to herself as she reached up to the shelf again and this time Leaf pulled down a tamato berry "There we go!"

She then quickly mashed the berry up and brought it back to the sick charmander "Here charmander! Drink up!" Leaf said as she poured the juice into charmanders mouth.

Within seconds, the flame on charmanders tail regained its strength and the fire pokemon happily looked up at her.

"There's a good boy!" She said with a smile on her face "Are you feeling better?"

"Char! Char!" Charmander happily replied and jumped back into its trainers arms.

"Wow Ms. Leaf! You're the greatest!" The young boy praised her as he hugged his pokemon tightly.

Leaf couldn't help but blush at the complement "Aww! Thank you Joey." She replied and pointed at the young boy "Now make sure you take good care of charmander and no hard battling okay?"

"Okay!" The boy reassured her and ran out of the store.

As Leaf watched him leave, Lyra slowly walked up beside her "Another happy customer." She happily sighed.

"Yeah…." Leaf sighed as well and turned to her friend "Hey Lyra, our berry pantry is getting pretty bare, do you mind watching the store while I go out and pick some more?"

"Sure go ahead Leaf!" Lyra replied "I promise the place will still be standing when you get back!"

Leaf graciously thanked her friend and then made her way to the back to get the equipment she needed.

* * *

As she proceeded to get her basket and tools ready to go pick berries, Leaf heard someone call out to her "Can I have minute?"

Upon looking up, Leaf saw Cynthia standing above her with a serious expression on her face.

"Yeah Cynthia, what's up?" Leaf wondered as the older trainer walked towards her.

"Leaf…I'm sure you've seen it….the new pokemon centre opening just a few doors down…."

As soon as Leaf heard mention of the pokemon centre, she immediately stopped what she was doing and dropped her tools on the floor "Yeah….what about it?"

"Aren't you….worried about it taking business from you?"

Leaf took a deep breath before shaking her head in disagreement "Nope! Why should I be?"

Surprised by her nonchalant response, Cynthia watched as Leaf picked up the tools she dropped and continued to get ready.

"The way I see it Cynthia is that they are going to probably going to be able to offer services that we don't have." Leaf admitted as she put the final tool in her basket and stood up "But guess what? We're going to be able to offer services that they don't have!"

Cynthia sighed as she placed her hand on Leafs shoulder "Leaf…while I admire your optimism….I'm afraid the services that a pokemon centre can offer are going to be far greater than anything our little day care can offer…."

"What's your point?"

Cynthia bit her lip, knowing full well that Leaf didn't want to hear what she was about to say "I'm just suggesting that maybe….things may not turn out well…..and…perhaps….we should start planning for the future."

Upon hearing that, Leaf took a deep breath and turned away "You know….my mother always taught me that if you love something….you believe in it till the very end…." She proudly proclaimed "I love this day care Cynthia….more than anything in the world and I'll die before I see it fold…."

"Leaf…"

"Cynthia you know I respect your advice more than anything and if you want to start thinking about the future….then so be it." Leaf stated as she pointed to her basket "But for me…personally, I'm going to live in the present! And presently, I need to go and get more berries so I can continue to offer the same love and care to my customers as I always do. Something that cooperate sell out down the road is never going to have over me!"

With that, Leaf walked straight out of the store and Cynthia sadly watched as she walked down the road " _Leaf….you're so strong….just like your mother…._ " She thought to herself " _But….I fear this is a battle you just can't win…._ "

* * *

As Leaf made her way to the forest that she usually picked berries from, she found herself once again walking past the giant infrastructure that was to be her competition soon. She stared at the construction site for a few seconds before turning her head and quickly walking away.

" _I'm not afraid! Everything's going to be fine….._ "

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I just want to go over my plans for this story. In terms of length, won't be as long as the last one. Not only that, but aside from chapter 2 (which I plan to have out within a week or 2) and chapter 3 (which should follow a week or 2 after that) I plan to do a chapter a month...mainly because of work.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of this new story. As always, let me know what you think of it, all feedback is very much appreciated! And if you have any ideas/anything you want to talk about, shoot me a PM!**

 **Ciao! Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Day in His Life

Chapter 2: A Day in His Life

On that same fall morning, the sun began to creep through the windows of a small house in the residential area of Saffron City, causing the eyes of a dark haired young man to slowly open.

This young man was known as Red and ever since the day of his fathers passing; had become the owner of a large branch of pokemon centres known as Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centres.

As his eyes slowly opened, Red looked over at his alarm clock. "7:00am…." he mumbled as he rolled over, "The new pokemon centre hasn't even been built yet….I can afford a few more minutes….."

But, before he even had the chance to close his eyes again, a small, yellow mouse pokemon came running into his room and jumped on his bed.

"Pika! Pika!" it greeted as it nuzzled his face.

"Oh…that's right…it's time to eat….." Red muttered as he glanced over at the tiny pokemon.

"Pika!" it happily nodded, but instead of getting up, Red just rolled over and pulled the covers over his head.

"Can you give me five more minutes Pikachu?"

Pikachu shot Red a disapproving glance. Whether he was ready to get up or not, Pikachu was hungry and it was going to make him get up one way or another.

"PIKACHU!" it yelled out and shocked Red with electricity, causing him to jump a foot off his bed.

"AHH!" Red shouted as he felt the electricity flow through his body, "Okay! I'm up! I'M UP!"

Satisfied, Pikachu quickly jumped off his bed and ran to the kitchen with Red slowly following behind.

"I swear Pikachu….sometimes I wonder who the TRUE master of this house is…." he grumbled as he turned on the lights in the kitchen.

As Pikachu danced around his feet, Red poured some pokemon food in a bowl and sat down with a hot drink of his own.

"Eating me out of house and home again huh Pikachu." he mused as he happily watched as his little partner stuff its face.

A few minutes later, the two finished eating and as Red walked over to pick up Pikachus bowl; he couldn't help but get excited. At around this time every day, he would receive a message from his anonymous friend that he had been talking to over the internet and couldn't wait to see what todays message said.

"Was it good buddy?" Red asked as he knelt down to pick up Pikachus bowl.

"PIKA!" it happily replied as it jumped onto Reds shoulder and began nuzzling his face.

"I know! I love you too!" Red laughed before shooting his pokemon a curious glance, "You ready to see if we got a message from our friend this morning?"

Upon hearing that, Pikachus face lit up and motioned Red to the computer room.

"Okay! Okay!" he chuckled as he quickly followed Pikachu, "We're going! We're going!"

The two made it to the computer room; but just as Red was about to sit down and turn on his PC, he heard the *DING* of his doorbell and immediately stopped to look behind him.

" _Now who could that be at this hour?_ " Red thought as he and Pikachu walked towards the front door.

Upon opening the door, he saw a young blonde haired girl standing in the doorway. "Umm…hi Red…" she nervously greeted.

Red looked at the girl confused. "Yellow? What are you doing here so early?" he asked as she nervously looked down at the ground.

Yellow was Reds girlfriend. She was a well-known reporter in the Kanto region and despite her meek personality; was also a huge pokemon activist who wasn't afraid to make her thoughts known when the subject came up.

"Umm….you left your bag at my place the other night and I just wanted to return it to you." Yellow shyly replied as she pulled a bag from behind her back and handed it to Red.

"Oh…thank you very much!" Red said as he grabbed his bag, "But, you didn't have to come all the way here to give it to me."

Yellows eyes darted from side to side and she began to twiddle her fingers. "I…I know….but I was on my way to work and I…..wanted to see you…."

"Well thank you very much." Red replied and motioned for her to come inside, "Umm…do you want to come in for a drink before you go?" he asked, hoping to make her less nervous.

"N-no…no!" Yellow stuttered and quickly shook her head, "I have to get prepared for an interview I have today with the president of Silph Co."

"Oh…oka-"

"Did you know that every year Silph Co uses hundreds of innocent pokemon as slaves to do their work?" Yellow suddenly blurted out, cutting Red off.

"No I didn't kn-"

"But guess what Red? I'm going to expose them for who they really are!" She proudly stated, cutting him off again "Because I have an innate ability to communicate with pokemon!"

Reds eyes widened at what she just said. "Is…that….so?" he mumbled not really knowing how to respond to all this.

Yellow happily nodded. "Yeah! My colleagues at work have even dubbed me The Pokemon Whisperer!"

Upon hearing that, Reds wide eyed expression quickly changed to a perplexed one. "Pokemon…Whisperer?" he muttered to himself in disbelief and Yellow bit her lip in embarrassment, realizing how ridiculous she sounded.

"I-I…umm….w-well…" she stuttered before quickly changing the subject, "Uhh….s-so….what are you doing today?"

Red looked away, unsure of what to say. He had a plan for today, but knowing her views on the matter, he didn't dare tell her.

"Well….I'm about to head off to work…." Red began and he scratched the back of his head as he continued, "…..and after I'm done…I'm going to…..come home and hang out with Pikachu."

Before his eyes, Red witnessed Yellows meek demeanor change to a serious one as she quickly figured out what he was up to. "You're….going to the battle square aren't you?!" she stated with her arms crossed.

Red did his best to avoid her gaze before muttering. "…..yes…"

He didn't even have to look at her to see how upset she was. "Red!" Yellow yelled as she pointed at his Pikachu, "How can you put your little pokemon through so much trauma!"

In turn, Red quickly waved his hands in the air as he tried to explain "Hey! Pikachu loves to battle!" he stated as he looked over at his pokemon, "Don't you buddy?"

Pikachu nodded in agreement but Yellow still shook her head in disapproval.

"Fine, maybe Pikachu loves to battle, but what about the other pokemon it's battling?" she continued to rant, "Think about all the pain it has to endure Red! It's so barbari-"

Red raised his hand and cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "It's who I am Yellow!" he sternly stated, causing Yellow to quickly look down at her feet.

"…I know…..I know….." she whimpered as she stared at the floor, "I just wish I could change that about you….."

Red sighed, he felt terrible for raising his voice and put his hand on Yellows shoulder to calm her down. "Look….every pokemon that goes to the battle square; goes with the sole intention of battling and I would never take it too far as to seriously injure another pokemon." he calmly explained as she looked up at him.

"…..promise?"

"Yeah I promise." he reassured her and pointed to his watch, "Now, you'd better get going or you're going to be late for your interview!"

Yellows eyes widened at that statement. "Oh right! Wish me luck!" She said as she grabbed her bag and waved goodbye.

"Go get em Pokemon Whisperer! You've got nothing to worry about!" Red called out to her as he waved back and shut the door behind him. He then tip-toed to a nearby window and peeked out to see Yellow quickly running down the road.

"Ladies and gentleman, the….Pokemon Whisperer has left the building." he mused to himself.

Pikachu watched as well and glanced over at its trainer "Pika…pika…." it cheekily said and Red couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Yeah I know it's a ridiculous title, but I wouldn't go saying that around her." he noted and made a mystical gesture with his hand, "Remember Pikachu, she can hear what you're saying!"

The two laughed and continued to look out the window until they were sure Yellow was gone.

"So….after all that….." Red trailed off as a smile formed on his face, "You ready to see what our friend has to say!"

Pikachu smiled back, it was waiting for him to say that. "Pika!" it happily replied as the two ran to the computer room.

Once they got there, Red slowly closed the door behind him and booted up the computer to connect to the internet. The entire time, Pikachu happily danced on Reds shoulder as they waited for the prompt to show up.

"Hold on! It's coming!" Red excitedly stated as he logged into his e-mail account.

*You have 1 new message*

"There it is!" Red shouted with glee as he clicked on the message, "Let's see what she has to say…."

 **From: LUCKYGIRL**

 **Hee! Hee! You're so formal with how you start your messages! See, for me, personally, I like to start my messages as if we were in the middle of a conversation…just like this! I don't know…..I just don't think of you as some online acquaintance I met just a few months ago, but more like an old friend that I can't wait to hear from every day!**

 **Now! Now! You should be happy you have a pokemon of your own. Even though I've been a huge pokemon lover all my life, I've never actually owned one before. I wish I could, but my landlord absolutely won't allow any pokemon in the building. Granted, while I understand that I wouldn't be allowed to have a huge pokemon like a wailord in my apartment, why can't I have a small cute one? I mean….I could have a teddiursa….or an eevee…. or a SKITTY! All girls love skittys!**

 **You know it's funny that you say that your morning wouldn't be complete without talking to me because I can't help but feel that way about you too. I just….can't get over the fact that every morning I wake up thinking to myself "What is he going to say to me today?" Then I turn my computer on and all time stops until I see that magical little prompt on my screen *you have a new message*. I swear, every time I see that prompt, the only sound I can hear is the beat of my own heart as I click on your message….I have mail…..from you…..and that means more to me than you could ever imagine…..**

 **So…thank you…and have a great day!**

Reds eyes were glued to the PC as he carefully read through the entire message and he couldn't help but unintentionally feel his face go flush as he read the last part of the message.

"U-umm….w-well!" Red stuttered as he turned off his PC and cleared his throat, "Y-you see Pikachu, she doesn't have a pokemon of her own so….your loss!"

Pikachu curiously watched as its trainer slumped back in his chair and muttered the last words he had just said to himself "Your….loss…."

Not wanting Red to be sad, Pikachu jumped on his shoulder "Pika….pika…." it said as it curiously looked over at him.

Right now, Red didn't know what to think. While he was happy with how his life was right now, he couldn't deny that every time he talked to this mystery person online he felt….free; like he could say anything to her and she wouldn't judge him for it. For Red, it was a feeling that he never had with anybody else before and he couldn't help but admit that whoever this person was…he admired them….a lot.

He then looked over to see Pikachu staring at him with a concerned look on its face. "Hmm? Oh….it's okay. I was just thinking…..that's all….." Red reassurance his electrical partner before standing up, "Come on! Let's go see how construction on the pokemon centre is going and then we'll hit up the battle square!"

* * *

With that, Red got dressed in his usual red vest and a few minutes later, found himself walking through the giant infrastructure that was soon to be his new pokemon centre. By his side was a yellow capped younger man who was reading through a list of features that the centre would have.

"10 different types of healing potions, medications for over 50 different types of status aliments, service 24/7!" he happily explained as they continued to walk through the building foundation, "I'm telling you Red! This pokemon centre is poised to be your biggest yet!"

The young mans name was Ethan, who had been Reds assistant ever since he started running pokemon centres. In their personal lives, the two were childhood friends and despite Red being the boss, the two weren't afraid to take shots at one another.

"What about the trade and chat rooms I requested?" Red asked him out of curiosity and Ethan quickly flipped through his notebook

"The….second floor should start construction tomorrow and all trade devices have been ordered and should be here within the week!" he proudly stated.

Red couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Once upon a time, Ethan was the most reckless person he knew and now he was completely organized and on top of everything. "Ethan….you know….I would say that you're the best assistant I've ever had and that you're irreplaceable….." he then looked away and trailed off, "But…let's face it; the only reason you're in the position you're in is because we go way back with one another!"

Ethan, in turn, raised his eyebrows at Red completely unfazed. "…and I would say that you're a gracious boss and that I love my job….." he then trailed off as well, "But….let's face it; the only reason I want this job is because if something happens to you, I get your inheritance!"

The two glared at one another for a few seconds before losing their composure and hysterically laughing at one another.

"Oh boy Ethan you're too much!" Red continued to laugh before regaining his composure, "In all seriousness, I'm glad everything's going well!"

"Yep everything's on schedule!" Ethan noted as he and Red stopped for a hot drink, "Speaking of going well….how are things between you and Yellow?"

Red looked over at his friend confused. "Uhh….things are fine…." he replied as he took a sip of his drink, "Why?"

Ethan coyly looked over and nudged his friend in the side. "Well….rumour has it that you two are getting engaged!"

Upon hearing that, Red spit out his drink and began coughing violently. "ENGAGED?!" he chocked, "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"

Scared, Ethan rapidly waved his hands in defense. "I…I don't remember, I just heard that it was happening!" he tried to explain, but Red was still livid.

"WELL IT'S NOT! SO GET THE IDEA OUT OF YOUR HEAD!" he yelled before turning and walking away.

"Wow Red….why are you getting so defensive?" Ethan inquired as he ran to catch up to his friend, "I thought you liked her?"

Upon hearing that, Red came to a dead stop and took a deep breath. "I do….I do….it's just….."

"It's just….what?"

"W-well….h-have you….ever thought that…..there's something you're mis-" Red immediately stopped what he was saying and shook his head in frustration, "Never mind! It's nothing! Don't worry about it….." He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

Curious, Ethan was about to inquire further when Reds phone started ringing.

"Yes?" Red announced as he quickly picked up the phone and Ethan watched as he conversed with someone over the phone, "Uh-huh…..uh-huh…..okay!"

"Who was that?" Ethan asked as Red hung up the phone.

"We're being summoned to The Dragons Den." Red explained to his friend, "HE wants to see us."

Ethan's face went white as a ghost "T-that's right! I forgot he wanted to have a meeting with us soon." he panicked as they made their way to a car that was waiting for them, "I hope everything's okay…."

"Don't worry Ethan." Red reassured his friend as he opened the car door, "Everything's going to be fine!"

* * *

The two drove through the city until they reached a giant tower and after walking numerous flights of stairs, Red and Ethan found themselves standing outside the office of Lance, the man who oversaw all pokemon centres in the region.

"I swear, no matter how many times we meet with Lance, I always get nervous!" Ethan stated as he cautiously looked over at Red.

"There's no need to be nervous. I told you everything's going to be fine!" Red reassured him and knocked on the door, "Lance has always been good to us!"

The two waited for a few seconds before a voice called out from the other side of the door. "It's open! Come in!"

Red slowly opened the door to reveal the cape wearing, spikey haired individual sitting at his desk, working away. However, as soon as the two entered, Lance looked up from his work and a smile formed on his face. "Red! And Ethan too!" he greeted them.

"Lance! How have you been?" Red asked as he shook the dragon masters hand.

At one time, Lance and Reds father were partners and oversaw all the regional pokemon centres together. However, since his passing, Lance ran the business alone and took it upon himself to teach Red everything he knew so that he could take over one day. For Red, he couldn't deny that he saw the dragon master as a sort of father figure and worked really hard to impress him.

"Oh things are great!" Lance replied as he pulled out two chairs, "Have a seat you two!"

The two cautiously looked at one another and slowly sat down in their chairs.

"So tell me Red, how have you been?" Lance asked as he sat back down in his chair, "How are things with you and ol…..what's her face?"

"You mean Yellow?" Red dully corrected him.

"Yeah! That's the one! The reporter!"

Red couldn't help but chuckle at Lance's bluntness. "Oh…fine….things are fine!" he stated before turning his towards Ethan, "NOT engaged as some people would have you think!"

"Hey! I told you it was just a rumour!" Ethan desperately tried to explain to his friend, but Red still wasn't buying it.

"Sure it was…." he grunted and turned back to Lance, "Anyway, why'd you call us here?"

"Well I have good news and bad news." Lance stated as he picked up some papers in his hand, "What do you want to hear first?"

Red sighed, knowing full well he would have to hear both eventually. "Well I'm in a good mood so give me the good news first!"

A smile formed on Lances face as he slid a paper with a bunch of graphs on it towards Red. "Those two new pokemon centres you started in Celadon city….they've made a 300% profit!"

The news made Ethans eyes go wide. "300%?! That's amazing!" he gasped as he looked over the charts.

Lance couldn't contain his excitement. "I know right!" he said as he got out of his chair and walked over to the two of them, "What do you think about that Red?!"

Red didn't know what to say and just sat there wide eyed. He just couldn't believe that people enjoyed using his pokemon centres that much.

Ethan chuckled as he looked at his friends blank expression. "I don't believe it! He's speechless!"

Still unsure of what to say, Red slowly turned his head to both of them before finally saying. "Well…..it was either that or throw up….did I make the right choice?" he asked as he felt Lances hand on his shoulder.

"You should be proud Red and I know your old man would be proud of you!"

Red took a deep breath as he thought of those words. "Thanks Lance…." he said as he let the words sink in and finally a smile formed on his face as well, "I'll admit; I'm really excited for the new pokemon centre that's going to be built in Saffron city!"

"It's certainly stirred up a lot of buzz." Lance noted as he passed Red another paper, "Most of the small time businesses in the area have either folded or want to join with you."

"That's good…." Red exclaimed as he read through the list of all the potential new partners he might have, "Wait….did you say most?"

Lance nodded before pulling out one final paper and presenting it to Red. "Yeah….that's the bad news….there are some small businesses that have refused to fold, namely this daycare a few doors down from the centre."

The paper was an ad for a daycare that Red had noticed every time he walked to the pokemon centre. "The Sunflora Daycare Centre?" he pondered as he scanned over the ad.

"Yeah, apparently it's a 3rd generation daycare owned by a girl who goes by the name of Leaf Green." Ethan chimed in as he looked over the paper as well.

"It's a shame…..I once knew the former owner of that daycare…." Lance sighed as he picked up the ad and looked it over himself, "But….that's in the past! You know what you have to do Red; bring them to the point where they have no choice but to fold!"

Red stressfully rubbed his temple as he heard those words. All he wanted to do was help sick pokemon get better, not destroy other businesses. "I-I don't know Lance…." he nervously replied, "I mean….what's wrong with a little competition? It's not like this daycare's going to pose a significant threat to us."

Lance shot Red a disapproving glance. "You're letting your emotions get the better of you again." he noted, "It's not so much about it being a threat as it is being a nuisance!"

"A…nuisance?" Red pondered and Lanced nodded in agreement.

"Yeah….customers of small businesses like that can be very vocal and while it may not majorly affect us, it could still be bad for business." Lance explained and then patted Red on the shoulder, "Look Red, I'm going to tell you something that your father once told me."

Red glanced over as he hesitated to ask. "And that is…"

"Evolution requires sacrifice!" Lance proudly declared to him.

In turn, Red gave Lance a puzzled look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that in order to succeed in life, sometimes we have to sacrifice the little things…." Lance explained, but he noticed that Red still looked confused, "Let me put it to you this way; think our business as a pokemon. When you first get a pokemon, it's really small and cute right?"

Red nodded. "That's right."

"….and while some people may want their pokemon to stay small and cute forever; eventually it's going to fall behind and be outmatched by everything it comes across. The only way to ensure that it stays relevant is to sacrifice its cuteness and evolve it!"

With every word he said, Lance grew more and more passionate, until he finally came to his point. "The fact is Red: People may love this daycare for being small and cute. But in the end, our pokemon centres are the evolution the people KNOW they need to treat their pokemon right!"

Red rubbed his head, trying to process everything that Lance just told him. "I guess that makes sense…" he said causing Lance to perk up.

"Of course it does!" He happily exclaimed before sharply pointing at Red, "Now I want to hear you say it!"

"S-say what?"

Lance raised his fist in the air. "Evolution requires sacrifice!"

Still unsure of what to do, Red looked around and muttered under his breath "….evolution requires sacrifice…."

Lance narrowed his eyes. "That was weak! Say it with more feeling!" he demanded.

"I said! Evolution requires sacrifice!" Red announced loudly.

"Ethan! Say it with him!"

Upon Lances order, Reds yellow capped friend put his arm around him. "EVOLUTION REQUIRES SACRIFICE!" The two shouted at the top of their lungs before they all began to laugh hysterically.

"Alright now that's my boys!" Lance stated as he put his arms around the two of them, "You can do it! Make me proud!"

* * *

With that, Red and Ethan were dismissed and the two happily made their way back to the car.

"That went over a lot better than I expected!" Ethan sighed with relief as the two rode the elevator back to the bottom floor, "So, what are you up to today Red?"

"Pikachu and I are heading to the battle square!" Red excitedly replied and Ethan couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"You still love battling huh?" he stated and nudged his friend in the side, "You never change!"

Before taking over his fathers business, Red used to be an avid pokemon trainer with dreams of one day becoming a champion. But, just when he was about to achieve his dream, his father became terminally ill and Red promised him that he would take care of the business in his stead. From that day on, Red abandoned his dreams of being champion and made it his goal to ensure the best care for pokemon as he possibly could.

"It's who I am Ethan." Red admitted as they reached the car, "Even if Yellow doesn't like it, I still love to battle!"

With that said, Red opened the door to the car and out jumped his little yellow partner into his arms.

"Well have fun today you two!" Ethan noted as watched as the two play with one another.

"Yeah you too Ethan!" Red replied before turning back to his partner, "You ready to go buddy?"

Pikachu happily nodded and the two made their way to their next destination.

* * *

The battle square was an area in Saffron city that was sectioned off exclusively for battling. There were multiple different types of battlefields to fight on and many tents that offered prizes based on your battle performance. Red loved coming here, though he never referred to himself by name out of fear that he would draw too much attention.

"Well here we are Pikachu! The battle square!" Red announced as the two made their way to a stone battlefield, "Who do you think our opponent's going to be today?"

No sooner did Red ask that and a young boy with a Charmander walked to the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Hey mister! Wanna battle?" the boy shouted to him, "My Charmander's all healed up and ready for action!"

"Char! Char!" The Charmander called out as it jumped onto the battlefield.

Red couldn't help but smile at the boys enthusiasm. "Fine by me!" he confidently replied, "Pikachu! Let's show this youngster how it's done!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted as it jumped onto the battlefield as well.

With the two pokemon prepped for battle, the youngster wasted no time in calling out the first move. "Charmander! Use tackle!" he quickly called out.

Red was a little caught off guard by the sudden order and watched as Charmanders head collided with Pikachu, knocking it back.

" _Hmm….lucky shot!_ " Red thought as he called out his first move, "Pikachu! Use double team!"

The youngster scoffed as Pikachu became more evasive. "Tackle it again Charmander!" he yelled back in hopes of ending the battle quickly.

Unfortunately for him, Pikachu swiftly dodged the attack and as the battle progressed, Red made it a point to make Pikachu more and more evasive until…..

"Pikachu! It's time! Quick attack!" He commanded and Pikachu hit Charmander with a headbutt of its own.

As he watched Charmander get knocked back, the youngster screamed for his pokemon to use any attack in its arsenal, but it could do nothing, Pikachu was just too fast for it.

"Let's finish this!" Red shouted while raising his fist in the air, "Thunderbolt!"

The tiny mouse pokemon released a giant blast of electricity from its body, hitting its target and fainting Charmander instantly.

"Charmander!" the youngster shouted as he ran over to his fainted pokemon and picked it up, "Are you okay?"

The fire pokemon slowly looked up at its trainer. "Char…." it weakly replied as the youngster sadly looked down at it.

"Oh…and just after you got heal up too…" he moped, "Ms. Leaf's going to be so mad with me….."

"Hey! That was some impressive battling young man!" Red noted as he walked over to the youngster, "Pikachu and I are really impressed!"

The youngster shyly looked away. "Yeah….but we still lost….." he admitted and Red smiled at him.

"True….but consider this a learning experience! Next time, don't rely so much on brute force." he explained and then looked down at the boys fainted pokemon, "Here, let me help you with Charmander."

The youngster watched in awe as Red took out a yellow crystal and fed it to his pokemon. "Here Charmander, eat up!"

The fire pokemon did as Red ordered and within seconds its energy was restored. Red then took out a bottle of green solution and began spraying charmander down with it.

"There!" Red stated as he finished spraying all the contents in the bottle, "Charmander should be good as new now!"

The youngster couldn't believe how fast Red healed his pokemon. "That was amazing mister!" he praised the older trainer, "Thank you so much!"

Red couldn't help but smile at the complement. "I-it wasn't anything special. I just used a revive and full restore…..you can get them at any pokemon centre." he explained to the boy, "What's your name?"

"Joey!" The boy happily replied and Red knelt down to the boys level.

"Joey….you know you should always carry some revives and potions on you incase something happens to Charmander."

The youngster nervously scratched the back of his head. "I always take Charmander to see Ms. Leaf if he's hurt and she patches him up!"

"Ms. Leaf?" Red pondered, " _I feel like I've heard that name before….._ "

The youngster perked up. "Yeah! She owns the daycare not far from here! She's so awesome!" he excitedly stated, but paused as he thought of what Red just did for him "Though…..I have to admit….you're pretty awesome too! Maybe you two should meet!"

Red didn't know what to say to the boy, he didn't have the heart to tell him that the daycare was his competition and that he was about to crush it. "Uhh…well…I don't thin-"

"You should! You and Ms. Leaf would get along great!" the youngster excitedly suggested to him and Red felt his whole body tense up.

"W-well….we'll see okay….." he nervously replied as he quickly began to walk away, "I gotta go, remember the advice I gave you!"

"Okay! Thanks mister!" the youngster waved to him and Red waved back, before walking into a nearby tent.

* * *

Inside the tent there were numerous shelves lined with prizes dependent on your winning streak. "Hello sir! Congratulations on your win!" the prize attendant greeted him, "What can I get you today?"

Red scanned over the shelves, there was really only one prize he was interested in. "Can I get a wacan berry for my pokemon please?"

"Of course sir!" she replied and handed him a yellow coloured berry, "Please come again!"

* * *

Outside the tent, Pikachu watched as Red came out with his hands behind his back. "I got a surprise for you buddy!" he said and Pikachu hopped up and down with excitement.

"Alright….because you did so good in that battle today…." Red stated as he slowly brought his hands to the front, "He's your favorite, a wacan berry!"

Pikachus face lit up. "Pika! Pika!" it said, unable to contain its excitement.

But, just as Red was about to hand Pikachu the berry, a passing Spearow swooped down and snatched the berry from his hand.

"HEY!" Red yelled out as he watched the bird pokemon fly off with his prize.

Upset, Pikachu tried attack Spearow with a thunderbolt. "PIKA!" it shouted, but the bolt missed and Pikachu ran off in pursuit.

"Pikachu! Come back!" Red shouted as he ran through the crowded streets of Saffron after it.

* * *

As Pikachu continued to chase Spearow down, it watched as the bird pokemon flew into a nearby forest and it quickly followed it in. Pikachu was only a few steps into the forest when it suddenly tripped over a strange mushroom sticking out of the ground. The mouse pokemon looked over, only see an angry Paras rise out of the ground and raise its pincer at it.

Meanwhile, Red made his way into the forest, frantically searching for his partner. "PIKACHU!" he yelled as he ran through the forest, "PIKACHU! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

As he continued to trample over roots and branches, Red came to a complete stop when heard a familiar voice whimper to him. "Pi….ka…."

He immediately stopped and looked down to see his yellow partner lying on the ground as a paras slowly crawled away from it.

"Pikachu…." Red gasped as he quickly knelt beside the mouse pokemon and checked it over.

Red saw that Pikachu was breathing heavy and its cheeks had a distinct purple tint to them. " _Oh no….he's been poisoned!_ " he thought as he opened his bag, "Hang on Pikachu, a full restore should do the tric…..oh-no…"

The pouch where all his potions were usually stored was bare and Red began to frantically sift through his bag hoping to find something to help his pokemon.

"No….no…NO!" he yelled as every pouch yielded no results, "Don't tell me I gave my last full restore to that youngster…."

"PIKA!" Pikachu suddenly screamed in pain and Reds eyes widened as its breathing intensified.

"Oh-no! Hang on buddy!" Red yelled as he petted Pikachus head to try to calm it down.

Red didn't know what to do; if he tried to move Pikachu, the poison would seep into its body quicker and all the nearby pokemon centres were too far away.

With no other option, Red was about to lose hope when he suddenly heard a voice call out to him.

"Is everything alright?"

* * *

 **Hello ladies and gentleman, I apologize for taking a little extra time with writing this chapter. For some reason, it was really hard to figure out what I wanted to write for this one...but...it finally all came together and hopefully chapter 3 won't take as long.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it and as always all feedback is greatly appreciated!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ciao!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Fateful Meeting

Chapter 3: A Fateful Meeting

All time froze as Red heard that voice call out to him. He had no options left; whoever this was would be his last hope to save his suffering pokemon.

He slowly turned around and as he did, his eyes were met with a young brunette haired girl running towards him. She was wearing a red skirt with a green tank top and in her left hand was a white basket full of berries.

"What happened here?!" she asked as she dropped her basket and quickly knelt down beside him.

Red was visibly stunned and not knowing how to reply to all this; blurted out the first words that came to his mind. "It's….m-my pokemon's been poisoned."

Before he could further explain the situation, the girl quickly bent down and picked up his yellow partner in her arms. "You poor thing!" she said as she scanned Pikachu over, "Yeah….looks like he's been poisoned pretty bad…."

"C-can you help him?" Red desperately asked, knowing this girl was the only chance he had left.

He then watched as the girl closed her eyes in thought for a few seconds. "Here! Hold this!" she stated as she shoved her basket of berries into Reds arms and began sifting through it.

"No…..No….No…." the girl muttered as she picked up berry after berry from her basket, until finally finding the one she wanted, "YES! Here we go! A pecha berry!"

The girl then turned her attention back to Pikachu, but before she could do anything, Red quickly yelled out to her. "Wait! If you make him chew that berry the poison wil-"

"The poison will seep through his body faster…..I know!" the girl noted before pulling out a bowl from her pocket, "Don't worry; I'm not going to make him eat it whole."

Red watched as she then placed the berry in her bowl and quickly mashed it into a liquid. "Here Pikachu drink this, you'll feel better..." she whispered as she poured the contents into the pokemons mouth.

Within seconds, Pikachus breathing had calmed down and the purple tint disappeared from the electrical pokemons face. "P-pika?" it said as it opened its eyes and saw the young brunette haired girl staring down at it.

"Hi there!" the girl said as she petted its head, "Are you feeling better?"

Before Pikachu could reply to her, it was suddenly lifted in the air by its much relieved trainer. "Pikachu! You're okay!" Red exclaimed as he hugged his tiny partner, "Don't you ever run off on me again….."

As they hugged, Red looked over to see the brunette haired girl giggling at them. "You two are so cute!" she teased as they both turned to her.

"That was incredible! Thank you so much!" Red stated as he looked down at his partner, "Say thank you Pikachu!"

Pikachu happily waved its hands in the air in thanks and Red couldn't help but notice a blush form on the girls face. "Aww….you don't have to praise me!" she bashfully replied and bent down to pick up her tools she dropped, "I was just doing my job!"

"Your…..j-"

Maybe it was because he was so focused on Pikachu before, but as he watched the brunette haired girl pick up her tools, Red couldn't help but notice just how attractive she was. " _Wow…..she's really cute…_ " He thought to himself, before realizing that he had completely stopped mid-sentence, " _Come on Red don't just stand there! Say something!_ "

"Y-you're job huh?" Red stuttered, struggling to think of something to say to the girl, "S-so….does that mean you're a nurse?"

" _That's great Red…..real slick….._ " he dully thought to himself, " _Look at me stuttering!_ _I've been hanging around Yellow too much!_ "

Upon hearing that, the girl covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "A...nurse?!" She mumbled, trying her best not to laugh, but she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Red stared at the girl dumfounded. "Did I say something funny?" he asked as he watched her laugh hysterically.

Upon regaining her composure, the girl walked up to him and playfully poked him in the head. "I'm not a nurse silly! I own the daycare not too far from here!"

In that moment, all colour quickly faded from Reds face and he became as white as a sheet. " _WHAT!_ " he yelled in his head as he tried to piece together what she had just said, "T-that means y-you're the-"

"The beautiful owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre herself: Leaf Green!" the girl proudly proclaimed and sarcastically bowed to him, "At your service!"

" _L-L-L-Leaf….Green?! You've gotta be kidding me!_ " Red thought and all too soon, a cold sweat started to form on his brow as he recalled her name from earlier, " _ **THIS GIRL** is my competition?!_ "

As Red continued to argue in his head, Leaf bent down to his electrical partners level. "Now….normally pecha berries should cure poison right away, but this poisoning was pretty bad…." she stated as she casually took Pikachu from Reds hands and into her own, "I think we should bring Pikachu back to my daycare and I can check him over to make sure he's okay."

"Pika!" Pikachu happily replied, but before anything could happen, Red quickly snatched his pokemon back out of her hands.

"T-that won't be necessary! I-I have some antidotes at home that can fix him up!" he stated, waving his hands in front of his face.

Leaf unconvincingly raised her eyebrow at Red. "Oh really?" She sarcastically replied as she walked up to him, "You really think those artificial pokemon centre potions will actually cure the poison?!"

"A-artificial?" Red stuttered as he retreated to his thoughts, " _My potions aren't artificial! Who does this girl think she is?!_ "

A smirk formed on Leafs face. "Yeah! They can't compare to my homemade techniques!" she proudly proclaimed as she continued to inch closer to him, "….and to prove that…..I'll do it free of charge!"

Red going insane; not only was his competition begging him to come to her store, but she was only a few inches from his face and it was making him sweat more than he ever had in his life. "R-really! That won't be n-necessary!" he stammered and turned away, hoping that she would just disappear.

Unfortunately, as soon as he glanced back over, Red discovered that not only had Leaf not moved, but she was now staring at him with puppy dog eyes. "Come on…..please?" she pouted.

" _Oh god! Why is she doing this to me!_ " Red thought as Leaf continued to stare at him. She looked so adorable right now and he wanted to cave into her so badly.

"I…..I…." he stuttered before the reality of the situation finally hit him and he looked away again, "N-no really! I can't!"

Much to his surprise, Leaf finally conceded and raised her hands in the air. "Alright….fine…." she sighed and began to back up, "Have it your way…."

Red breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for understandi-"

"We'll just approach this from another angle!" Leaf suddenly declared, making Red go wide eyed.

"WHAT?!"

An evil smirk formed on Leafs face. "All in favor of going to my daycare raise your hand!" she declared and proudly raised her hand in the air.

Immediately, Red glared down at his electrical partner, hoping it would understand what he was thinking. " _Pikachu! Don't you dare raise your h-_ "

"PIKA!" it happily shouted and raised its stubby hand as high as it could.

" _TRAITOR! Are you trying to get me killed?!_ "

He then looked up to see Leaf with the most content look on her face. "Well would you look at that! Two against one!" she slyly stated as she, once again, took Pikachu out of Red hands, "See, Pikachu knows what the best option is! I should have just asked it from the beginning!"

Red watched as his pokemon happily looked up at Leaf, then turned and stuck its tongue out at him.

" _Pikachu! If you're agreeing with her because you think she's cute I swear to god I'll-_ "

Before Red could finish his thought, he suddenly felt the warmth of Leafs hand in his own. "Come on! Let's go! The Sunflora Daycare Centre awaits us!" she proudly declared as she placed her basket of berries in his other hand.

"Wha-HEY!" Red shouted as Leaf forcefully tugged him along.

* * *

The two made their way out of the forest and after walking a few minutes down the streets of Saffron, spotted Leafs daycare in the distance.

"There it is! The Sunflora Daycare Centre!" Leaf pointed out as she looked down at the mouse pokemon in her arms, "Don't worry Pikachu, once we get there, I'll get you all patched up!"

"Pika!" it happily replied and Leaf then turned Red, who had been growing increasingly agitated the closer they got to the daycare. Not only was he heading to the business of his competition, but they would have to pass by HIS pokemon centre on the way there and Red prayed that nobody would notice him.

"Oh….and thank YOU for carrying my basket of berries!" Leaf coyly stated, nudging Red in the side, "You're quite the gentleman!"

Red shyly glanced over at her. "Uhh….y-you're quite welcome…" he nervously replied before looking down at what was currently occupying his other hand. "B-but was it really necessary for you to hold my hand the entire way?"

A mischievous grin formed on Leafs face as she looked down at their hands as well. "Hey! You should feel privileged!" She winked at him, "Only a few men have ever had the honor of holding my hand!"

Leafs statement made Red stare at her in disbelief. " _SERIOUSLY?! WHO_ _ **IS**_ _THIS GIRL?!_ "

* * *

The two continued to walk hand in hand down the street and Reds heart beat faster and faster as they prepared to walk by his pokemon centre.

" _Oh god! If someone sees us I'm never going to hear the end of it!_ " he panicked in his mind, " _I gotta think of something quick!"_

Without thinking, Red tipped his hat over his eyes and began to guide Leaf to the other side of the street, making sure that she was right in front of him as they walked past the centre. "So…Leaf…." he asked, trying to make small talk, "How long has it been since you started working at this daycare?"

"Well….technically I started working there as a little girl when my mom used to own it," Leaf explained before looking down at her feet, "…..about 5 years ago….she passed away and I've owned it ever since…."

Seeing the sad look on her face, Red decided it would be best to not delve to deep. "Oh….I'm sorry…" he apologized, thinking of the similar situation he was in. Then, without thinking, mumbled. "I know how that feels….."

Leaf curiously glanced over at him and Red immediately shut his mouth upon realizing what he just said.

"What did you say?" She asked and Red defiantly shook his head.

"N-nothing! It was nothing!"

Before she could inquire any further, Leaf realized that they had finally arrived at their destination and quickly dropped the subject. "Here we are! The Sunflora Daycare Centre!" she announced as the two stood in front of the doors.

Red nervously looked up and stared at the building that he was in direct competition with. Compared to his pokemon centre, the daycare was very quaint and the age of the building was definitely showing. He then looked through the front window and saw all the happy customers inside, causing his stomach to churn inside-out. " _I can't believe I'm doing this! This is the very daycare that my pokemon centre is about to crush and I…._ " his thoughts were cut short as Leaf happily dragged him inside, " _JUST WALKED RIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR!_ "

* * *

"Lyra! I'm back!" Leaf called out as the two made their way inside.

Red watched as a brown haired girl with a white hat and pigtails came running from behind the counter towards them.

"Leaf! Where have you been?! I've been worried si-" Lyra stopped as she noticed Red and quickly pulled Leaf out of earshot, "Wow Leaf….when you said you were going to go pick berries I didn't realize that meant picking up cute guys too!" she slyly whispered in her ear.

Leaf rolled her eyes at her friends remark. "He's a customer you idiot! Don't get any ideas!" she harshly whispered back, "I have to go help his Pikachu; can you assist him if he needs any help?"

Lyra glanced over at Red and smirked. "Oh…it looks to me like he needs A LOT of assistance!" she remarked as she watched him sheepishly look around.

Just as Lyra was about to walk over to him, Leaf forcefully grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "Lyra…..play nice with him!" she sternly stated before walking away.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Leaf shook her head. "You know **EXACTLY** what I mean!" she jokingly replied as she walked to the back.

* * *

Meanwhile, Red was still trying to process the situation he was in. " _Wow….so this is what it's like to be behind enemy lines….._ " he thought as he looked around the daycare, " _Well….opportunities like this don't come every day! I'd better not squander it!_ "

With that, Red began to slowly walk around the store; all the while, making a mental note every detail he could spot. " _From the looks of it…the only services offered at this daycare are pokemon recovery and potion selling…._ " he pondered as he picked up a bottle of medicine off a shelf and looked at the price, " _2000 pokedollars?!_ _I could easily sell my potions for cheaper!_ "

As Red continued to look at the various products the daycare had to offer, he suddenly stopped as he heard a voice call out to him from behind. "Umm…excuse me?"

He quickly turned around to see the girl with the pigtails curiously looking at him. "Is there anything I can help you with sir?"

"Oh…I'm just browsing," Red reassured her as he looked down at the medicine bottle in his hand, "Just out of curiosity, why is everything so expensive?"

Red watched as a worried look formed on the girls face. "O-oh! That's because Leaf makes all her potions by hand," Lyra desperately tired to explain to him, "It's a lot of work; she even picks the berries herself!"

"Yeah! I personally witnessed that for myself!" Red chuckled as he put the bottle of medicine back on the shelf, "Still….I wish she would let me pay for healing my Pikachu…."

"It's okay sir! Don't worry about it!" Lyra happily reassured him, "I guess…Leaf must really like you! She wouldn't do something like this for just anyone!"

Red sighed as Lyras words sunk in. "I see…..she's truly an incredible person huh?"

Upon hearing that, Lyra panicked and nervously began to wave her hands in the air. "Y-yes! B-but I wouldn't get any ideas! She's taken already! But…." she trailed off as she brushed alongside him and slowly wrapped her arms around his, "...I'm available tonight if….you….want to do….something?"

Red blushed as Lyra seductively smirked at him. " _Okay! THIS is happening!_ " He yelled in his head, _"What is with these girls today? First Yellow with her Pokemon Whisperer stuff, then the owner of my competition wanting me to come to her daycare and now this girl!_ "

Not wanting to hurt Lyras feelings, Red turned to her and smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but I have a girlfriend already," he admitted to her before sarcastically thinking to himself, _"….among other things…._ "

Upon hearing that, Lyra embarrassingly let go of Reds arm and her face turned flush. "O-oh….s-sorry!" she stuttered as she started to back away.

Unfortunately, Lyra didn't get far as she ended up bumping into someone from behind and a familiar voice jokingly whispered in her ear. "Crashed and burned, huh Lyra?"

Her face turned even redder as she turned around to see Leaf standing right behind her. "L-leaf! Y-you!" she stammered as her friend shook her head and walked right past her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting sir! Pikachu's all healed up!" Leaf stated as she handed Pikachu over to Red and winked at him, "You two be careful from now on, okay!"

"We will! We will!" Red chuckled as Pikachu happily jumped into his arms and nuzzled his face, "So….how much do I owe you for this?"

Leaf put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "I told you! It's on me silly!" she stated and Red rolled his eyes right back at her.

"And I told YOU that I want to pay for it!" he quickly shot back at her and the two sternly glared at one another until Leaf felt something tug at her skirt.

Upon looking down, Leafs eyes were met with a little girl holding a pidgey. "Ms. Leaf, can I ask you something?" the girl wondered as she held the tiny bird pokemon towards her.

Leaf was a little caught off guard, she didn't want to ignore this little girl, but she also didn't want to make Red wait either. "W-well….I…" She stuttered as she looked back up and Red reassuringly waved to her, letting her know it was fine, "Sure sweetie, what can I do for you?"

"Well, pidgey and I have been training a lot, but every time we battle, we always end up losing….." the girl noted as she sadly looked down at her pokemon, "I was wondering….do you think we'll ever get strong enough to win?"

Leaf smiled as she petted the bird pokemons head. "Of course you will sweetie, you just gotta keep training hard and you'll do it!" she reassured the two of them, "And don't forget that I'll always be here if pidgey needs healing!"

As Red stood there, he couldn't help but overhear their conversation and decided to kneel down to the girls level as well. "She's right you know. The more you train pidgey, the more moves it will learn!" he explained, happy to enlighten the younger generation of the ways of battling, "One day it'll get strong enough to evolve and you two can go fly around the world together!"

"Wow! Did you hear that pidgey?!" the girl exclaimed with glee and Red couldn't help but smile as he watched her eyes sparkle with excitement.

"Just remember, no matter how bad things may look, to never give up no matter what!" He proudly stated before winking at her, "That's one of my sayings!"

"Thanks mister! I'll do my best!"

With that, the girl waved goodbye to them and Red sighed as she ran off. " _Even though I wasn't able to achieve my dream, I hope you can succeed where I couldn't….._ " he thought as he watched her happily run out the door.

As he stood back up, Red saw Leaf staring at him in awe. "Wow….you really know a lot about pokemon huh?" she stated and Red scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah….you could say it's kind of a hobby of mine….." he bashfully replied and Leaf was clearly intrigued by this.

"Really? That's very interesting." she said while resting her head on the counter, "How long have you been a pokemon aficionado?"

Red chuckled as he thought about that. "Oh my…..for as long as I can remember….." He replied, thinking back to his days as a trainer.

"You know…." Leaf pondered while enthusiastically rubbing her chin, "If I had room for more staff, I'd offer you a job here in a second!"

Reds eyes widened as far as they could go. " _Oh….she did not just say that!_ " he thought as an evil smirk formed on her face.

"Actually now that I think about it….." Leaf continued to ponder as she turned to her friend, "Lyra, you're fired!" she suddenly declared.

Lyras face went as white as a ghost. "WHAT!" she yelled at her friend in distress, "Leaf! How could you let a man come between us!"

Seeing how out of hand this was getting, Red started waving his hands in a panic. "No! NO! Really! That won't be necessary! I have a job already!" he quickly spoke up.

"Alright….fine…." Leaf sighed as she slapped her friend in the back, "I guess you're hired again Lyra…."

Upon hearing that, Lyra sarcastically raised her eyebrows. "Wow Leaf….don't sound so enthusiastic about it…." she dully noted and the two of them started laughing at one another.

As Red watched the both of them, he couldn't help but start laughing as well. Everyone was having fun until Red said something that he immediately regretted. Completely forgetting where he was, Red jokingly blurted out. "Hey don't worry Lyra! If you ever did get fired, I'm sure you could always get a job at that pokemon centre opening down the road!"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Red knew it was a stupid thing to say as both Leaf and Lyra immediately stopped laughing and looked at each other sadly.

"The….pokemon centre…" Leaf whispered to herself.

" _Me and my big mouth!_ " Red thought to himself as watched Leaf sadly look over at him, "Umm….I-is there something wrong with the pokemon centre?" He asked, trying to act oblivious.

"N-no….there's nothing wrong about it…." Leaf sighed and slowly began to sort items on the counter, "They have to make a living too…"

"But Leaf!" Lyra suddenly blurted out, "I thought you said the people who owned the pokemon centre were no good corporate sell ou-"

Leaf quickly put her hand over Lyras mouth before she could finish what she was saying. "LYRA! NOT IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMERS!" she yelled at her friend.

"Sell….outs….." Red muttered to himself and Leaf shook her head in frustration.

"I'm sorry…." she apologized to him, "It's just….there's been a lot of talk that this pokemon centre might put us out of business…." Leaf explained and Reds heart began to beat faster with every word she said.

"I….see…." he slowly whispered to her.

Leaf sighed and shook her head again. "It's alright though!" she reassured him, trying to force a smile, "Even though some people….even those close to me, may try to put me down; it's loyal customers like you that make me realize that no matter what obstacles this pokemon centre may throw at me…..everything's going to be okay."

Red had to look down, there was no way he could look her in the eye after everything she had just said. All he knew was that he felt horrible and needed to get out of this daycare as fast as he could.

Without thinking, Red pulled a huge wad of money from his pocket. "Here…." he said as he slammed the money down on the counter, "Take it!"

Leafs eyes widened as she saw the giant stack of pokedollars he left on the counter. "I-I thought I told you the treatment was on me?" she gasped as she looked back up at him.

"I-I know, that's thanks for everything you've done for me today," Red stuttered as he slowly backed up towards the door, "I really need to g-go now!"

He was just about to walk outside, when Leaf suddenly called out to him. "Wait! Please wait!" she yelled as she ran up to him and nervously darted her eyes back and forth, "I-I never got your name…."

Red slowly turned around and repeated what she just asked. "M-my name?" he muttered.

Leaf nodded. "Yes! I-I got so caught up in what happened today that I never asked."

Knowing full well that if he told her who he really was there would be trouble, Red quickly thought of the best reply he could. "I….uhh….I'll tell you next time I come in!" he nervously said as he continued to back away, "Alright! I really need to go! I need to leave right nooooowwwwAHHHH!"

Unfortunately for Red, he was so fixated on leaving that he failed to look notice a bunch of garbage cans behind him and fell over top of them.

Leaf giggled as she watched him quickly stand up and embarrassingly look around before running away. " _What a strange guy…."_ she thought as she turned to walk back into the store.

* * *

Meanwhile, Red ran as fast as he could away from the Sunflora Daycare Centre and didn't stop until he reached a bench near the safety of his new pokemon centre.

" _What…what the hell just happened?!_ " Red thought as he panted furiously, " _Did I really just do that?_ "

Pikachu curiously looked up at its trainer. "Pika?" it asked out of concern.

"I'm okay Pikachu….." he reassured his yellow partner, "Just a little out of breath…."

Red then looked up and stared at the infrastructure that was to be his new pokemon centre. "Pikachu…..I saw it…..I saw everything…" he stated as he looked back down at the mouse pokemon, "The type of stock that daycare carries, the services they provide, their prices…I know them all…."

Pikachu didn't know how to react as its trainer suddenly stood up and raised his fist in the air.

"I know what I have to do!" Red stated as he looked down the road, "I need to hurry and give this information to Lance so we can make the necessary adjustments to take this daycare down!"

A shocked expression formed on Pikachus face and it quickly shook its head. "PIKA! PIKA!" it argued, stunned that Red would even consider doing such a thing.

A sad expression formed on Reds face and as he looked down at his pokemon, he recalled everything that Leaf had done for him. Not only had she saved his pokemon from certain death; she did it all without even wanting to be paid for it.

"You're right Pikachu…..using this information against Leaf would be terrible given everything she did for us…..maybe….I shouldn-" he stopped mid-sentence as he recalled Lances words from earlier and shook his head, "NO! I can't let my emotions get the better of me again! This is a business and I have to do this!"

With his mind made up, Red set Pikachu on his shoulder and began making his way to Lances tower. " _This…..is the right choice…._ " He reassuringly thought to himself as he walked down the road, " _After all….. **evolution requires sacrifice** …..right? Lance?_"

* * *

Back at the daycare, Leaf walked back inside to see Lyra counting the money their new customer had just left them.

"Leaf! Check out how much he tipped you!" Lyra called out to her and passed Leaf the giant wad of pokedollars.

Leaf took it upon herself to count the money that Red had given her and it ended up amounting to well over 10 000 pokedollars. "Oh my god…." Leaf gasped as she placed the final bill on the pile, "This tip is even more than what I would usually charge for a treatment….."

As she continued to stare at the money, Leaf felt Lyra elbow her in the side. "Hey! Can you go out to the woods more often and bring back more customers like him?" she teased and Leaf quickly glanced over.

"Ohhh….I'm sure you'd like that huh Lyra," she teased back, "Are you going to flirt with the next one I bring back as well?"

Lyra blushed as she thought about the events that occurred earlier. "Oh! Like you didn't flirt with him too!" she quickly shot back and nudged Leafs shoulder, "Care to explain why YOU were holding his hand?!"

Leaf sarcastically shrugged. "What can I say? I have my ways of getting customers to come to my daycare." she coyly explained before winking at her friend, "Don't tell me you're jealous Lyra!"

Embarrassed, Lyra punched Leafs shoulder. "H-hey! I thought he was pretty cute! Didn't you?" she asked and Leaf rocked her head back and forth in thought.

"Hmm…I'd give him a 6/10!" she sarcastically replied.

Lyra slapped her head in disbelief. "Wow! SOMEONE has high standards!"

"Okay! Okay! You're right!" Leaf admitted, waving her hands in front of her face, "…6.1!" she declared and began to giggle to herself.

Lyra couldn't help but start giggling as well. "Leaf! I'm totally telling him that the next time he comes in!" she said and began acting out a scenario in front of her, "Hello sir! Thank you for your business! Oh! And by the way, on a scale of 1-10, Leaf thinks you're a 6.1! So try harder!"

The two howled with laughter and before long, Cynthia emerged from the back to see what all the commotion was about.

"What are you two laughing about?" she asked as she walked up to the two girls.

"Oh Cynthia you missed it!" Leaf said, trying to regain her composure, "Lyra totally got shot down by a guy who was just in the store!"

Cynthia looked at the two with a confused look on her face "…..and how is that any different than usual?" she noted, glancing over at Lyra.

"CYNTHIA!" Lyra yelled, putting her hands on her hips, "What is this? Pick on Lyra day?"

Leaf shot her friend a disapproving glance. "Hey! This is payback for the whole cyber-sex thing this morning!" she stated, giving Lyra a slight shove.

"Oh that's right! I forgot about your mystery man!" Lyra teased and put her arm around Leaf, "So….are you going to message him when you get home?"

"N-no!" Leaf turned away and blushed, "I have a dinner date with Blue tonight remember?" she stated.

Lyra rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah! I completely forgot about that!"

"Actually, do you two mind closing up for me tonight?" Leaf asked as she looked at the clock, "I should go home and get ready. You know Blue hates being late."

Lyra and Cynthia glanced at one another. "Oh….believe us, we know!" Lyra sarcastically replied, "Go on! Have fun!"

Leaf patted both of them on the shoulder. "Thanks girls! I owe you one!" she noted as she ran out of the store.

* * *

Later that day, Red finally returned home and was completely exhausted. He had just spent the past few hours telling Lance all about the inner workings of the Sunflora Daycare Centre and the two finally agreed on prices that the daycare could never hope to match. Of course Lance praised him for his efforts; but for Red, the whole ordeal wasn't sitting well with him.

Despite telling himself over and over that the decision he made was the right one, Red still felt terrible about what he did. Not only that, but Pikachu had refused to speak with him the entire way home and it was eating him up.

"Come on buddy…." Red called out as his pokemon ran past him into the house, "Can't we just talk about this?"

Pikachu glanced back at Red before narrowing its eyes and crossing its arms "Pika….pika" it grumbled, disappointed that its trainer would resort to such an underhanded tactic.

Red, in turn, narrowed his eyes right back. "HEY! Don't give me that look! I had no other choice!" he tried to explain, but Pikachu just turned and walked away.

" _Fine! Be that way!_ " Red thought as he hung up his coat, " _I really had no other choice….._ "

As Red walked out of the front doorway, he passed his computer room and looked inside. Thanks to Yellows distraction this morning, he never had a chance to reply to his anonymous friend and after everything that happened today; he really wanted to message her.

He turned on all the lights and as Red waited for his PC to boot up; he was surprised to see Pikachu run into the room, carrying its food bowl.

"Pika…." it mumbled as it reluctantly presented the bowl to him.

Red couldn't help but smirk at the tiny mouse pokemon. "Remembered who feeds you huh?" he chuckled as he took the bowl to the kitchen and poured some food in it.

"Pikachu….I'm sorry…." Red sighed as he watched his electrical partner eat its food, "This is one of the unfortunate drawbacks of owning a business and sometimes we have to make decisions that don't sit well with us…."

Pikachu looked up and saw the sad expression on its trainers face. "Pika…."

"I'm sure if anyone was placed in the same situation I was in….they probably would have done the same thing…." Red whispered to himself, "But still…..I…."

He stopped as he felt Pikachus stubby hand pat his shoulder. "Pika….Pika…." it reassured him and Red smiled as he petted its head.

"Thanks buddy…." he said as he looked down at Pikachus bowl, "Hey! If you're all done, do you want to come help me write my reply to our friend?"

Pikachus face lit up at that request. "Pika! Pika!" It happily replied to him.

The two ran back into the computer room and upon opening his e-mail account, Red was greeted by the most recent message that his anonymous friend had sent to him. Not remembering everything she had said, Red scanned over the message again and felt his heart beat faster as he read her final statement to himself.

He then began to compose his message back, but as he did, his mind began to wander. He had been talking to this mystery girl for months now and Red couldn't deny that the more they talked….the more curious he got.

" _I wonder….if I should try….._ " He thought as typed up his message to her.

Once he reached the end, Red stopped and stared at the message he just composed. There was something else he wanted to add, but he was scared to do it.

"Pikachu…." Red mumbled as he turned to his yellow partner, "I'm about to do the craziest thing in my life!"

Pikachu looked confused as Red turned back to the PC and typed one sentence. However, this one sentence had more meaning than the entire message he had just written and Red knew it. He hovered his mouse over the send button for a good 5 minutes while he contemplated whether this was the right thing to do or not.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" he whispered to himself, "I….I can't even look….."

That said, Red shut his eyes, hit the send button and threw his hands in the air. "THERE! IT'S DONE! THE QUESTION'S OUT IN THE WORLD!" he yelled as he stood up.

Pikachu looked at Red like he was the craziest man in the world. "P-pika?" It wondered as Red bent down and picked it up.

"Come on! Let's go play or something!" he said as they walked out of the room.

For Red, this was going to be one of the most agonizing nights of his life as he had no choice but to wait and see how his anonymous friend was going to respond to what he had just said.

* * *

It was very late before Leaf returned to her apartment and as she opened the front door and stepped inside, Leaf let out a huge sigh of relief. Her night with Blue had been a complete bust and wore her out. Instead of going out and having fun; all Blue wanted to do was talk about his new position and when that wasn't the case, he just continued pressuring her to get rid of the daycare and get a new job.

" _I don't understand….._ " Leaf thought as she hung up her coat, " _My daycare's going to be okay…..why does Blue have no faith in me?_ "

She then took off her shoes and began walking down the hall to her bedroom. However, she stopped as she passed the computer room and looked back. On any other day, Leaf would wait till the morning to check and see if she had a message from her anonymous e-mail friend, but tonight she really wanted to read something nice before the day ended and make her feel good about herself.

" _I doubt there'll be a new message….._ " Leaf thought as she turned her PC on, " _I don't care….even if I read one of his older messages, it'll make me feel better…._ "

However, much to her surprise, as soon as she connected to the internet and logged into her email account, there was that little prompt saying:

*You've got 1 new message*

Leaf couldn't hide the smile that had formed on her face; she wanted to hear from him so bad. "Oh god….thank you…." she whispered as she opened the message.

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Hello there,**

 **Shoot! See, there I go being "formal" again! I'm sorry I can't help it! I like being formal!**

 **All girls love skittys? That's…..oddly stereotypical of you. So, you're telling me, that if I went around the city and did a survey asking what kind of pokemon do women like the most? Skitty would win 100% of the votes?! I doubt that! You have no proof madam!**

 **Now….if I were to get you a pokemon….I would want it to be something….personal….something that reflects your personality. Now…taking all that I know about you into consideration, I've come to the conclusion that the pokemon I would get for you would be….. prrrobably a skitty!**

 **Now hear me out! I said, the pokemon should reflect the trainers personality and I think it represents you perfectly! I mean…..they're caring...pink...have a heart on their tail…..LOOK! The bottom line is: I wouldn't just get you one because all women like them! OKAY!**

 **I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to message you this morning; I was a little tied up. Speaking of which, do you know what a Pokemon Whisperer is? It was mentioned to me this morning and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Regardless, I'm glad I finally got a chance to get back to you. To be honest, I was thinking about it all day….**

Like any of the messages she received from her anonymous friend, Leaf was thoroughly enjoying reading through this one. But, what really caught her attention was a sentence that was written at the end.

 **Umm….I was wondering…..do you think we should…..meet?**

Leaf stared at the message with her mouth agape. "M-meet?" she quietly muttered to herself and for the next few minutes, Leaf read the question to herself again and again, "Should we meet?"

It got to the point that Leaf was so conflicted about the question that she had to walk away from her PC to seriously contemplate this turn of events.

Her mind was a complete wreck and Leaf figured she must have paced around her room for a good 10 minutes until she decided to have a shower to calm herself down.

" _I….I just don't know…._ " Leaf thought as she walked in the shower and let the water slowly run down her body. It was so surreal, just that morning all she could think about was meeting this mysterious person that she messaged every day. But, now that the question was being presented, right there in front her, Leaf became hesitant.

After finishing her shower and walking back to her PC, Leaf slowly sat down and began responding to her anonymous friend. She wrote to him as she normally would, being as flirty and sarcastic as she usually was. But, when the time came for Leaf to respond to THAT part of the message, she found herself stopping and taking a deep breath.

"I want to meet you…..I really do….but….I'm afraid…" she whispered to herself as she sadly looked over the message he had sent her, "I'm afraid that…by meeting you…..it may make me want to change my entire life…."

With her mind made up, Leaf finished her message and hovered her mouse over the send button.

"….and….that….scares me…."

She then hit the send button and sighed knowing that what she had just sent to him might change everything between the two of them.

* * *

 **Hi Everyone! Bass Here!**

 **I don't know what it was about this chapter; I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to say it and that's why this one took so long. Bit of an update for this story, chapters are probably going to come out a bit slower from now on (as if they weren't already lol). There's been alot going on lately and I don't want to give you guys a rushed job. That being said, I hope to do a chapter once a month (and who knows, if I'm really in the writing mood, they might come out earlier)**

 **As always, thank you for being so patient with me. Let me know what you guys think of the chapter, feedback is always much appreciated and...I'll see ya next time!**

 **Thank you so much! You guys are the best!**


	4. Chapter 4: Unwanted Revelations

**Hello Ladies and Gentleman,**

 **Now...I know what you're thinking; Last chapter I said I'd have up in 2 weeks...it takes me 3! I said this chapter would take me a month and yet (through a little persuasion), here it is only 3 weeks later! Bottom line is: I AM TERRIBLE AT KEEPING MY SCHEDULE!  
**

 **I should also mention that this chapter is frigging huge! I really did not anticipate it being this big...but that's just how it ended up turning out. So...I would suggest you grab yourself a drink and strap yourself in, cause your in this one for the long haul!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Unwanted Revelations

It was a cool autumn night and everyone was sleeping soundly…everyone except Red that is. Despite trying his best to fall asleep, he just couldn't get his mind off of how his anonymous friend would react to the idea of meeting him.

" _What if she hates me for this? I couldn't bear the idea of never talking to her again!_ " Red frightfully thought to himself as he rolled around in his bed, " _But…..if she agrees…..am I prepared to change my life for her? I don't even know who she truly is….._ "

He continued to play out scenario after scenario in his head until he just couldn't take it anymore and jumped out of bed. "That's it! I can't wait anymore! I need to know! I need to see it!" he stated in frustration and began to tip-toe his way to the computer room.

Once there, Red slowly turned his PC on and quietly closed the door behind him, making sure he didn't wake Pikachu in the process. Whether she agreed to him or not, this was something he had to witness alone.

As the PC proceeded to boot up, Reds heart beat faster and faster in anticipation and by the time he started connecting to the internet, his stomach was literally churning inside-out.

" _Oh god….here we go…._ " he thought as he logged into his email account and saw that familiar prompt show up.

*You have 1 new message*

On any other day, seeing that prompt would have made Red jump for joy. But today was different; the sight of it made him sick to his stomach and he panicked as he slowly dragged the mouse over. "Please….please…." Red whispered as he clicked on the prompt and opened the message.

 **FROM: LUCKYGIRL**

 **Aww! So you think skitty personally represents me? That's so sweet of you! Though I must ask…..how did you know I was pink and had a heart shaped tail?**

 **WAIT! ARE YOU SPYING ON ME ;) I KNEW IT! GUILTY AS CHARGED!**

 **Now...to answer your question, no I don't know what a Pokemon Whisperer is. But, if you were to ask me, I would say it sounds quite….kinky!**

 **Alright! Alright! Maybe I just have a dirty mind ;) In all honesty, I really don't know what it is, but I promise I'll message you if I find out!**

At this point, Red was practically scanning through the entire message. While he enjoyed what she had written to him so far, there was only one part he wanted to read right now and he continued to scan through until he found it. When he did, Red could tell that the tone of the message had completely changed, it was obvious that she had put a lot of consideration into this as well.

… **let's face it, I know what you want to hear from me and I should just stop beating around the bush. Truth is…..I was seriously contemplating not even replying to your question. I thought if I ignored it, we'd just forget about it and continue on as normal…..but I couldn't do that you…..you deserve a reply.**

 **Let me start by saying that I'm very flattered that you want to meet with me. Believe me, there's nothing I want more….I think about it every day. But, right now, there are a lot of issues going on in my life and I think it would be best if we wait until things settle down before we actually meet.**

 **I'm sorry if my decision upsets you and if you never want to speak to me again after reading this, I wouldn't blame you. But, I hope you don't because I love talking to you so much and I promise you that we will indeed meet one day.**

 **If I never hear from you again, I just want you to know that the time I've spent talking to you has been some of the best times of my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world.**

 **You really do mean a lot to me….**

As he finished reading the message, Red breathed a sigh of relief. From the looks of it, she was just as nervous about this as he was and after all the contemplating Red had been doing that night; this was, by far, the best outcome he could have expected.

" _You don't have to worry…..I'm not leaving you,_ " Red thought as he went back and read through her entire message, " _What you want to do is your choice and your choice alone; I would never force anything upon you._ "

He then spent the next few minutes carefully typing his response back, assuring his anonymous friend that he respected her wishes and would never be upset with her over something like this. He then made sure to end the message by saying that, while he really wanted to meet her, he was more than willing to wait until she was ready.

With that, Red happily sent his reply back, relieved at how everything had turned out. " _It's okay…_ " he thought as he turned off his PC and tip-toed back to bed, " _I know in my heart we'll meet one day!_ "

* * *

A few weeks had passed since that night and for both Red and Leaf, the whole _**should we meet?**_ debacle had become a distant memory as the two returned to their daily routine of messaging each another. Unfortunately, while Leaf was happy that things had gone back to normal between the two of them, the same could not be said about her everyday life. The grand opening of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre was rapidly approaching and with every day that passed, Leaf found herself getting more and more anxious.

" _I can't keep thinking about this!_ " Leaf sternly thought as she laid on her couch, " _The daycare's going to be fine! This pokemon centre isn't going change anything!"_

"LEAF!" A loud voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Surprised, Leaf jumped up and looked over to see her spikey haired boyfriend walk into the living room. "Blue! You don't have to yell! My apartment's not that big!" she angrily proclaimed, but he just shrugged and sat down beside her.

"Here!" Blue said as he passed Leaf a piece of paper, "Can you look this over for me?"

Leaf laughed as she took the paper for herself. "You're letting ME look over your work? This is an unexpected honor!" she jokingly stated causing Blue to roll his eyes at her.

"Oh! Just shut up and read it Leaf!" He huffed and Leaf cleared her throat as she began to read what was written:

 **Dear Sir or Maam,**

 **You have been cordially invited to attend the party celebrating the recent promotion of Mr. Blue Oak to his new position as head researcher of Oak labs. Doors will open at 7:00pm sharp, so please make sure to arrive in a timely manner.**

 **I graciously look forward to seeing and meeting with all those who attend.**

 **Blue Oak**

As she finished reading the letter, Leaf looked over to see Blue eagerly awaiting her opinion. "So? What did you think?!" he asked and Leaf rubbed her chin in thought as she slowly placed the letter on the table.

"Two questions for you!" She slyly replied to him, "What poor soul did you con into writing this and how much did you pay them for it?"

Blue recoiled in shock. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he demanded.

"Blue I know you!" Leaf stated as she pointed to a sentence in the letter, "There is no way you would ever use the word _**graciously**_ in a sentence and mean it!"

His pride hurt, Blue narrowed his eyes at her, "OH! You think I can't write my own material?!" He shot back and Leaf raised her eyebrow in acknowledgement.

"Okay FINE!" Blue sighed in defeat, "I….had my assistant write it for me!"

Leaf couldn't help but laugh at him. "I figured as much!" she proudly exclaimed; it wasn't every day that she made Blue admit he was wrong.

"Whatever!" He grunted before reaching into his pocket and handing Leaf two small pieces of paper, "Here's your ticket for the party and you're free to bring someone else with you."

"Thanks, I think I know who I want to bring," Leaf happily replied before walking over to a nearby window. As she stared out at the busy streets of Saffron, her smile slowly faded as a thought crossed her mind.

"What's with that look on your face?" Blue smartly remarked as he watched her stare out the window.

"That new pokemon centre is going to be opening soon….."

Blue shrugged. "So? Don't tell me you're scared of it!"

Not wanting Blue to see her fear, Leaf formed a fist in her pocket. "No…..no I'm not…" she muttered, tightening her fist with every word.

Leaf then shook her head, trying her best not to think about it. "It's okay!" she reassured him before looking at her clock and gasping.

"Oh my god Blue! We have to get to work!"

Blue's eyes widened as he looked up as well. "Damn it! You're right!" he yelled out and quickly bolted for the door while Leaf ran to her room to get dressed.

* * *

As Leaf frantically struggled to get ready and start her day, Red was already hard at work a few blocks away, overseeing the final stages of his centre's construction.

"Hey Ethan, can I ask you something?" Red asked his yellow capped friend as they walked through the halls of the nearly completed pokemon centre.

"Sure Red, what's up?"

Reds eyes darted from side to side as he pulled two pieces of paper out of his back pocket. "Well….Yellow was invited to go to this party a couple of days ago and they ended up giving her 3 tickets," he explained as he showed the tickets to Ethan, "Do you want come with us? Yellow says she doesn't have anybody else to bring."

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "That depends…" he sarcastically replied as he looked at the ticket, "What kind of a party are we talking about?"

Red scratched his head in uncertainty. "Honestly….I don't know," he admitted as he looked at the ticket as well, "Something about celebrating some guy's promotion or something…."

Ethan stroked his chin in thought for a few seconds before quickly grabbing the ticket for himself. "Sure! It's a date!" He joked before sarcastically putting his arm around his friend, "But don't you go holding my hand or I'll slug ya!"

Red couldn't help but sigh at that remark. "You…know….on second thought…" he muttered before quickly snatching the ticket back out of Ethan's hand and walking away, "Maybe I should consider asking Lance instead!"

Shocked, Ethan quickly ran after him. "What? Hey Red! I was just joking! Come on!" he yelled out as the two made their way to another part of the pokemon centre.

* * *

It didn't take long for a few nights to pass and before Red and Leaf knew it, the night of Blue's party was upon them. Famous people came from regions far and wide to congratulate Blue on his recent promotion and also to use this party as an excuse to strengthen ties with Oak labs.

However, Red wasn't interested in any of that. He was only here because Yellow, though her contacts at work, had somehow managed to score 3 tickets to this party and was using it as both a reporting venture and as a means to spread her word about how pokemon should be treated in the workforce.

"Alright, so let me get this straight…." Red clarified as he spoke with an older gentleman with black hair and a white lab coat, "You're telling me there's a type of pokemon that dragon-types have NO effectiveness against?!"

"That's right!" the man enthusiastically replied, "They're called fairy-types and they're also super effective against dragon types as well!"

Reds eyes were practically sparkling, he had no idea there were other types of pokemon like that in the world. "Wow! That's amazing!" he excitedly stated as he looked over at his girlfriend, "Don't you think so Yellow?"

However, as he looked over, Red saw that Yellow was busy writing on her notepad, completely unaware of what they were talking about. "Huh? O-oh yes of course Red…amazing….." she dully noted without even looking up.

" _You're not even paying attention to me, are you?_ " Red thought as he watched her frantically scribble notes on her notepad.

"A-anyway, if we could get back to the interview Mr. Sycamore, I have a few more questions for you."

The black haired man happily nodded. "Sure! What else can I do for you?" he asked as Yellow rapidly flipped through the pages of her notepad.

"Umm…this mega-evolution technology you have in the Kalos region…..don't you think it's a bit cruel that trainers can forcefully change their pokemon's appearance whenever they want?" Yellow sternly asked him and Red watched the smile on Professor Sycamore's face slowly fade as she continued, "…..and I seriously doubt that you've ever considered the pain a pokemon must go through when its biological appearance is changed against its will."

It was at this point that Red would normally tip his hat to avoid eye contact. Unfortunately, he had traded his regular attire for a tuxedo tonight and Red had to resort to placing his hand over his eyes instead. " _Yellow! He's literally told you 10 times that it can only achieved through a strong bond! It can't be forcefully done!_ " He embarrassingly thought as he rubbed his temple.

" _Oh boy….this is going to be a long night….._ "

* * *

At another end of the party, Blue and Leaf were speaking with another gentleman in a lab coat; however, this one was shorter and wearing a pair of glasses.

"To the continuing relationship between the laboratories of Kanto and Johto!" the man stated, extending his hand to Blue.

"Thank you for all your support Professor Elm," Blue replied as he shook the professor's hand, "I promise there will be an increase in collaboration between the Kanto and Johto labs now that I'm in charge."

Professor Elm nodded in approval before turning to Leaf. "Your boyfriend's one amazing man Leaf! You must be proud of him!"

Leaf nodded and put her arm around Blue. "Oh! I'm always proud of my man!" she happily assured him and to her surprise, Blue actually smiled back at her.

"Isn't she something?" he praised her before quickly turning back to Professor Elm, "Hey…Professor, there's a daycare in the Johto region right?"

Professor Elm looked at him confused. "Yes, it's just outside of Goldenrod city…..why?"

"Well, Leaf's been looking for a job and we were wondering if they were hiring?"

No sooner did that question leave Blue's mouth and Leaf's smile quickly faded. She was wondering why Blue was acting so nice to her all night long and now it was all starting to make sense.

"Umm….I don't know….but I could find ou-"

Professor Elm didn't get a chance to finish as Leaf immediately spoke up. "I don't need a new job!" she sternly stated to the Professor, "I personally own a very successful daycare and have no intentions of ever giving it up!"

Visibly shocked at her sudden outburst, Professor Elm watched as she stormed off in frustration. "D-did I say something wrong?" he asked and Blue just rolled his eyes.

"Ughh….sorry…she…..gets like this sometimes….." he assured the Professor before turning and running after Leaf, "Hey! Come back here!"

* * *

Back on the other side of the party, things weren't going much better for Red. Over the past few hours he had listened to Yellow chew out at least 10 people about how they were mistreating their pokemon and he was really getting tired.

" _How much longer is this night going to go on for?_ " he wondered as he continued to listen to Yellow lecture another man about the treatment of his pokemon. However, out of the corner of his eye, Red thought he saw a familiar face in the distance.

The figure must have noticed him too because as soon as the two made eye contact, the figure quickly made his way through the crowd towards him shouting **"Excuse me**! **"** to every person he passed. As he got closer, the figure revealed himself to be Ethan, who Red had reluctantly agreed to invite to the party after all.

"Hey Yellow!" he greeted as he walked up the two of them and pointed at Red, "Do you mind if I borrow him for a bit?"

Yellow hesitantly looked over at Red, not wanting to give him up. "W-well…..actually….I-I….."

Before Yellow could finish what she was going to say, Ethan had already grabbed Reds shoulder and was pulling him away. "Thanks! I'll make sure to return him by the end of the night!"

As Ethan proceeded to pull him along, Red quickly turned to him and asked. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you," Ethan stated, nudging his friend in the side, "I could tell you were having SUCH a great time with that conversation!"

Red sighed and looked around to make sure they were out of Yellow's ear shot. "….thanks…." he whispered as he turned to Ethan, "So….what are you up to?"

No sooner did Red ask that and a sly smile formed on Ethan's face. "Red my friend, this is what I like to call a target rich environment!" he confidently proclaimed as he adjusted his tied.

Ever since they had known each other, Ethan had always been one to hit on the ladies and apparently that part of him hadn't changed, "Ethan! You are aware we're at a business party! Not a club!" Red harshly whispered in his ear, but Ethan waved him off.

"Semantics!" He quickly stated and put his arm around Red, "Come on Red! Be my wingman!"

Knowing what kind of trouble this would probably get him into, Red defiantly shook his head. "NO! I'm not getting thrown out for your sake!" he exclaimed, but Ethan simply shrugged in response.

"Fine! Then you can go back and listen to Yellow prattle on about her pokemon activist stuff all night!"

Upon hearing that, Red closed his eyes and sighed in defeat as he took that into consideration. It only took him a few seconds of deliberation before Red reopened his eyes and a sly smile formed on his face as well.

"…..wingman huh?"

* * *

Meanwhile, after plowing through the vast crowd of guests, Blue had finally caught up with Leaf.

"Hey! Don't you run off on me!" he yelled as he forcefully grabbed her shoulder.

"What are you trying to pull Blue?!" Leaf retorted as she was spun around.

Blue rolled his eyes. "What does it look like I'm doing you idiot?!" he continued to yell back at her, "I'm trying to get you another job so when your stupid daycare eventually goes out of business, you won't be out of work!"

Leaf clenched her teeth, she was so tired of hearing that line and got right up in Blue's face. "How many times do I have to tell you Blue?! MY DAYCARE'S NEVER GOING TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS!"

"AND HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO GET YOUR DAMN HEAD OUT OF THE PAST?!" Blue shot right back at her.

Frustrated, Leaf threw her hands in the air. "Whatever!" She yelled before storming off again.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Oh! Don't worry Blue! I'm not going far!" Leaf called out as she continued to walk away, "Just….go talk to some of your big shot friends for all I care!"

With that, Leaf turned around and continued to push her way through the crowd. While she felt bad for storming off on Blue, she really needed to be alone for a while.

* * *

In the meantime, Red was happily watching the humorous events that were taking place in front of him. Ethan was currently trying to put the moves on a classy young lady and Red was enjoying every second of it. " _…annnndddd she takes a wily scraper! The wily vet! Who knows it's anybody's game!_ " he proceeded to commentate in his head until the lady's palm smacked across Ethans face, " _Ohhhh! There's a quick left!_ "

Ethan slowly turned around to reveal a huge red mark where he had been slapped, "Well…that could have gone better…." he dejectedly stated as the young lady hastily walked away.

"Perhaps opening with: _**How many arm-thrusts will it take to get you in my pokeball?**_ Wasn't the best idea!" Red chuckled as he put his arm around his friend, "Ethan, maybe it's time you admitted that all the girls you've been hitting on have either been taken already, or are way out of your league!"

Ethan crossed his arms in frustration. "I'll never give up!" he declared, causing Red to shake his head.

"Oh boy…." he sighed as Ethan narrowed his eyes at him.

"Alright genius! Since you're such an expert on women; how about you pick one out for me?!" he jokingly suggested, "That way I can blame YOU if I screw it up!"

With no better options, Red reluctantly agreed. "Fine…." he sighed as he began to look around, "Let's see…."

Red's eyes quickly scanned over the area, looking for any woman that would even consider talking to his friend. As he continued to look around, Red's eyes widened as he caught sight of something…..unexpected. Even though she was wearing a sparkling black dress in place of her usual green tank-top, red skirt and white hat, her long brunette hair gave her away.

Immediately, Red grabbed Ethan's shoulder and pointed in her direction. "LOOK! OVER THERE!" he yelled in a panic.

Thinking that Red had found him someone, Ethan quickly looked over. "Hmm? The brunette?" he pondered as he checked her out, "Not bad Red! You really DO know how to pick em!"

Red wasn't even listening; he was too busy trying to hide his face so she wouldn't recognize him, when all of a sudden, he felt Ethan slap him in the back of the head.

"Hey! She's already with a guy Red!" Ethan grumbled as he looked over at his nervous friend, "Are you trying to get me slapped again!"

"Shut up you idiot!" Red hissed as he whispered in Ethan's ear, "Don't you realize who that is over there?!"

"N-no….who is she?" Ethan replied, scared at Reds tone.

"That's _**Leaf Green**_ over there!"

"Leaf Green?!" Ethan replied in shock, "You mean?!"

Red rapidly nodded his head. "Yes! The owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre!"

Ethan's eyes widened as well. "That's her?!" he stated as he began to remember who she was. However, just as he did, another thought crossed his mind, "Wait...how do you know that?"

Red felt his face turn flush as he recalled back to when he and Leaf first met one another. "T-that's….NEVER MIND HOW I KNOW! Just….I….I gotta go! Cover me!" he panicked and quickly bolted off.

"Hey! Red!" Ethan called out to him, but it was too late; Red was already pushing his way through the crowd to get away from her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf was slowly making her way through the crowd of people, her head hung low as she did. " _I'm just so sick of people telling I'm going to fail!_ " she frustratingly thought to herself, " _Well..I don't care what people say! Everything's going to be okay!_ "

With her confidence restored, Leaf looked up and as she did, her eyes saw something…familiar.

"Hmm…..isn't that….."

Even though his back was turned and he wasn't wearing the same attire as when she first met him, Leaf recognized who it was. "I don't believe it…" she whispered to herself as she happily walked over, "It's…..him!"

* * *

After making his way through the vast crowd, Red had finally stopped walking as he found a banquet table full of food in a corner of the party room. Trying to act as casual as he could, Red took a plate and started filling it with food. " _Alright…..I think I lost her….._ " he thought as he continued to fill his plate and hesitantly glance around, " _I just gotta lay low and everything should be okay from here on ou-_ "

"Hi there!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Red dropped his plate and screamed at the top of his lungs, instantly recognizing the voice that had called out to him. He quickly turned around and there she was, standing there giggling at him with that cute expression of hers.

"Wow….I don't think anyone's ever been THAT excited to see me before!" Leaf playfully teased him before leaning forward and slyly adding, "My number one customer!"

" _She really IS trying to kill me!_ " Red frightfully thought to himself as he tried to muster the words to respond to her. Unfortunately, all that came out was. "Y-you!"

"Aww! Am I really that scary?" Leaf pouted and Red could feel the sweat already starting to form on his brow.

" _Yes! YES YOU ARE!_ " he yelled in his head as she casually walked right up beside him, " _Ughh….come on Red! Just play this cool and she won't suspect a thing!_ "

With that, Red put on his best game face to prepare for the conversation ahead. "No, you just...startled me that's all." He nonchalantly replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Is that so? Cause it looked to me like you were scared!" she continued to tease him before pointing to his plate, "….and what's with this odd food assortment you've got going on here?"

Red quickly looked down at his plate, he was so focused on hiding himself from Leaf that he was completely unaware of what he was putting on it. Now that he actually looked at it, Red saw that he had a beautiful combination of a roast farfetched, topped with ice cream and some of the banquet table's decorative flowers.

He stared at his plate in disgust before glancing back up at Leaf. "I'm…uhh…obviously trying to get all my food groups in at once!" Red lied and Leaf burst out laughing, causing him to sweat even more.

" _Great….now I look like an even bigger idiot!_ " he thought as Leaf finally composed herself.

"I'm just really surprised to see you!" she happily greeted, "I didn't know you were affiliated with Oak labs."

Red quickly shook his head. "I-I'm not! My girlfriend got an invitation to come here and I'm just tagging along!" he explained to her, "How about you, why are you here?"

Leaf shrugged as she thought about the situation she was in. "I'm...kind of in the same boat as you," she admitted, "My boyfriend's actually the one who's hosting this party."

"Oh….that's….nice…" Red stammered, unsure of how to continue this conversation.

As such, the next few seconds were spent in silence, with Red shyly glancing over at Leaf as she continued to smile at him.

" _Oh….this is so awkward! I wish I could just run away!_ " he yelled in his head as Leaf grabbed a plate of her own off the table.

"You know I was thinking about you the other day….." she spoke up as she began to fill her plate with food.

Red's eyes widened in shock. "H-huh?! R-really?" he stuttered, causing her to giggle at him.

"Not like that silly!" she clarified, "Remember at the daycare when you were talking to that little girl and you told her to **never give up! No matter how bad things got?** "

Red nodded, recalling back to that day. "Yes….I remember….why?"

Leaf sighed as she sadly looked down at her feet. "Well I've been a kinda down the past few weeks….you know…..with the whole pokemon centre opening and everything….." she admitted as she looked up at him, "But then, I always think back to what you said that day and it gives me the confidence to keep going!"

Unfortunately, while Leaf may have thought she was making Red feel good by telling him this, she couldn't have been more wrong. To Red, her words felt like daggers stabbing at his heart and the guilt that he felt right now was overwhelming.

He didn't even know how to respond to what she had just told him. In his head, there were so many things he wanted to say to her, but the only words that left his mouth were a simple. "You're…welcome…."

Despite Red's best efforts to hide it, Leaf could tell that something was wrong and she hoped that she hadn't offended him somehow.

"Look….I…..just really wanted to thank you for believing in me and that you're welcome at my daycare any time!" she happily stated to him and Red nervously nodded in assurance.

"T-thank you very much!"

The two stood in silence once again and Leaf nervously rubbed her arm as they did. "H-hey…" she finally spoke up, trying once again to break the silence, "…..there's been something I've been meaning to ask yo-"

Leaf stopped as she noticed a tall lady with blonde hair amongst the crowd and waved to get her attention.

"Cynthia!" she called out, causing the blonde haired woman to look over. However, as soon as the two locked eyes, Leaf could see that Cynthia had a look of complete terror on her face and she watched as the Cynthia started rapidly waving her hand, trying to get her to come over.

Confused, Leaf shook her head and pointed to Red, trying to explain that she was currently in a conversation.

However, Cynthia wasn't letting up and began waving her hand even more violently; signalling that whatever she had to say couldn't wait.

Leaf sighed in defeat and reluctantly turned to Red. "Sorry, I have to go! A friend of mine wants to talk to me," she apologized and waved goodbye, "Maybe we can talk again later!"

"Yeah sure! It was nice seeing you again!" He happily waved back, super-relieved that she was finally leaving.

" _Thank god that's over with!_ "

* * *

As fast as she could, Leaf ran over to Cynthia, who was waiting impatiently for her with her arms crossed.

"Hey! Glad you could make it Cynthia!" Leaf greeted and crossed her arms as well, "But….did you really have to call me over like that? I was kinda in the middle of someth-"

"What are you doing?!" Cynthia sternly asked and Leaf looked at her confused.

"Huh? Oh! I was talking to a customer who came to the daycare a couple of weeks ago!" Leaf explained, pointing over at Red, "Let me introduce you to him, he's really nice!"

Without warning, Cynthia pulled Leaf in close and harshly whispered in her ear. "Leaf! Do you have any idea who that is?!"

Leaf scratched her head. "A-actually….no….I never got his name…" she admitted as she continued to watch Cynthia stare at her in complete disbelief.

"Leaf….that guy over there…..his name's Red."

In that moment, Leaf felt her mind go completely blank. "R-red?" she muttered the name too herself, "A-as in-"

"As in the owner of **Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre** ," Cynthia clarified, "The guy that's trying to put you out of business."

Leaf was stunned; this had to be a trick. "Don't joke with me Cynthia! H-he's…..he's…."

Cynthia shook her head. "Believe me; I've been doing some research on this pokemon centre…that's him, I know it!" she revealed before giving Leaf a puzzled look, "…..and you say he was…..in the daycare?"

Leaf's heart began to beat faster and faster as realization set in. "Oh my god…" she whispered to herself and before Cynthia could say otherwise, Leaf immediately turned around and hastily made her way back to where Red was standing before.

" _This can't be true! I-it can't!_ " Leaf thought to herself over and over again as she walked over to the banquet table. Right now, there were so many emotions swirling in her mind: Shock, anger, betrayal and they all made Leaf sick to her stomach. As much as she didn't want to do it, she had to confront him; she HAD to know the truth.

* * *

Upon making her way over, Leaf saw that Red was still there; sheepishly looking around as he slowly ate the bizarre arrangement of food off his plate.

*AHEM* Leaf cleared her throat as she approached him from behind.

Wondering what was going on, Red turned around and saw Leaf standing there with her arms crossed. "Oh hey! Did you see your friend?" he casually asked her.

Unsure of how to begin this confrontation, Leaf just blurted out the first words on her mind. "Red?! You're names Red?!" she quickly stated, narrowing her eyes at him.

In that moment, all colour faded from Red's face. " _Oh-no! The secret's out!_ " he panicked in his mind, frantically wondering what to do next, " _Uhh….j-just act casual Red!_ "

"Yeah! Wasn't it obvious? I mean….I **AM** always wearing the colour!" He joked, but Leaf clearly wasn't impressed.

"S-shut up! This is no joke!" Leaf stammered as she mustered the courage to ask, "A-are you….really him? T-the owner of the new pokemon centre."

Red took a deep breath, now that she knew who he was; there was no sense in hiding it anymore. "…..I am." he muttered to her, turning away as he did.

Leaf turned as pale as a ghost. She didn't want to believe it, but it was him…..it had been him…..the whole time.

Y-you…why didn't you tell me?!" she demanded and Red simply shrugged at her.

"Uhh…if your current reaction is anything to go by, I'm pretty sure you can figure out why," he nonchalantly replied, "….that and I really did have to leave."

Leaf gritted her teeth as she thought back to that day. "Oh right! Your whole **"I'll tell you who I am next time I come in"** excuse! You were never going to come back to my daycare were you?!"

"Yep! You got it!"

Leaf was beside herself, she couldn't believe how calmly he was reacting to all this. "I-I don't believe this! I helped you! I even let you come to my daycare!"

Red raised his eyebrows at that statement. "Uhh….lest we forget, YOU were the one who demanded I come!" he quickly corrected her.

"Y-you didn't have to!" Leaf stuttered, trying her best to prove a point.

"You begged me!" Red retorted.

"I DID NOT!"

"YOU LITERALLY HELD MY HAND AND DRAGGED ME THERE!"

"I…..I…." Leaf stammered; she knew he was absolutely correct, but she couldn't ever admit to that, "I-it was probably some elaborate scheme of yours, wasn't it?! Y-you probably planted that Pikachu there on purpose!"

Red rolled his eyes; her arguments were becoming more and more flimsy by the second. "Right….I totally got my pokemon poisoned in some random forest, so you'd find it and take me to your daycare….."

His rebuttal made Leaf recoil in frustration. Truth was, aside from Blue, she had never really yelled at anyone before. Not only that, but her mind was a complete mess right now and she quickly realized how stupid she was sounding.

"S-still! I healed your pokemon!"

Red nodded in agreement "Yes you did and believe me when I say this Leaf, I am very grateful for that," he assured her, "But unfortunately….when it comes to your daycare….well….let's just say….evolution will require sacrifice."

Leaf looked at him confused. "What?"

"It's the idea that in order to succeed in life, there needs to be evolution and unfortunately, in order to do that, you have to sacrifice the small things." Red explained to her, "Do you understand what I'm saying? Unless you choose to evolve alongside me Leaf, my pokemon centre is going to make you and your daycare fade into obscurity."

Leaf took a minute to process everything he just said to her, before finally responding with. "No! That's horrible!" she protested, "Who gives you the right to be both judge and jury of whether my daycare survives or not?!"

Red sarcastically rolled his eyes at her. "Uhh….since I'm the bigger business Leaf!" he proudly stated as a sly smirk formed on his lips, "Come on, you're smart, I'm sure you could figure that out!"

Leaf didn't know how to respond, she couldn't believe that this was the same guy she had met all those days ago. "I-I feel like such an idiot….." Leaf muttered as she thought about all she did for him, "I healed your pokemon, I was super friendly to you, I let you see my st-"

Leaf froze as that thought crossed her mind. "I….I let you see my store….."

"Yes….you did…."

Leaf's breathing intensified the more she thought about what she did. "Y-you aren't planning to use what you saw that day...against me….are you?"

Red shifted his eyes from side to side, he knew the truth, but he didn't dare tell her. "I'm….not at liberty to divulge that information….." he muttered.

In a panic, Leaf desperately grabbed his collar. "Red I can forgive you for not telling me who you were!" she stated as she stared him dead in the eye, "But please! Look me in the eye and tell me you won't take advantage of what you saw that day!"

What happened then, Red would never understand. Maybe it was because he wanted to protect his image or maybe it was because he was just so tired from everything that had happened tonight, but all of a sudden, he walked right up to Leaf, looked down on her like she was some insignificant peasant and just snapped. "Look you! This is a business and I did what I had to in order to succeed!" he sternly yelled while pointing his finger at her, "I can't help that you're so blind to see that times are changing and if you find yourself out of a job when my pokemon centre finally opens….THEN THAT'S YOUR FAULT! NOT MINE!"

Right then, Red could literally pinpoint the exact moment where her fragile mind completely shattered and as he continued to glare down at her, Red could see her eyes begin to gloss over in fear.

As she stared up at him, Leaf didn't know how to feel. Despite being yelled at by Blue on a constant basis, being yelled at by Red was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. He made her feel so….insignificant, like a little bug that Red and his pokemon centre were about to squash. Right now, Leaf wanted nothing more than to just break down and start crying….but she couldn't. She had to stand firm, she couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing…..he'd broken her.

"Y-you…..how could you?" she whimpered as he continued to intensely stare down at her, "After everything I did for you…how could you…..use me like that….."

As he watched her, Red realized the magnitude of what he had just done. He had hurt her….deeply and he had no idea how to respond to all that.

"Say something!" Leaf begged him as he looked down at the ground.

Red bit his lip, in all his years of owning a business; he had never yelled at someone like that before and as he continued to stare into her glossy eyes, Red had to wonder: Was the person who just yelled…really him?

"H-hey…." He finally spoke up, trying to explain himself, "It's…it's….just busin-"

"WHAT'S GOING ON OVER HERE?!" A voice loudly called out and Red watched as a spikey haired individual ran through the crowd and over to Leafs side, "Who the hell's this?!"

Leaf didn't even look up at him, she was still in shock from had just occurred. "H-he's…."

"Hi! My name's Red, nice to meet you!" Red suddenly spoke up and extended his hand to Blue.

"RED?!"

Red nodded. "That's right! The owner of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre." he clarified.

Blue was completely beside himself as he glanced over at Leaf and then back to Red. "So…you're the one who's running her out of business?!" He yelled, getting right up in Red's face, "Tell me, how do you sleep at night?!'

Red narrowed his eyes, after everything he'd been though tonight, he was in no mood for this. "On the contrary! Last I checked, she's very much still IN business and the only person who's running her OUT of business is herself!" he quickly shot back, raising his voice with every word, "SO WHO ARE YOU YELLING AT?!"

Stunned by Reds outburst, Blue stepped back, unsure of what to say.

" _Yeah! That's right, back off! I don't have time for this!_ " Red thought as he watched Blue back away, " _Ughh! Could this night get any worse!_ "

"RED!" A familiar voice suddenly called out to him and Red groaned as he realized who it was, " _Oh god…..no…_ " he thought and quickly glanced around to see Yellow running towards him.

"Where have you been?" she asked as she ran up beside him, "It's been hours since Ethan took you away and….you never came back….."

"Sorry…I was busy." Red replied, looking over at Leaf and Blue.

Yellow looked over as well and quickly perked up as she saw the dejected brunette haired girl in front of her. "Hey! You're Leaf Green, the owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre!" she happily greeted, but her tone changed the more she thought about who Leaf actually was, "S-sorry about your business going under….Red told me that your daycare doesn't stand a chance against his pokemon centre."

Unbeknownst to Yellow, her words just cut Leaf deeper. "Did he….." she mumbled, still not looking up.

Whether it was because she could sense Reds icy glare or the fact that she realized the absurdity of what she had just said, Yellow immediately started to frantically wave her hands in front of her face. "U-umm….n-no offense….obviously…."

More confused than ever, Blue yelled out. "AND JUST WHO ARE YO-"

"Hey! Aren't you Blue, the new head of research at Oak labs?" Yellow stated, cutting him off.

"Why….yes I am!" Blue proudly proclaimed as Yellow extended her hand to him.

"M-my name's Yellow! Lead writer for the Kanto Times and…..resident Pokemon Whisperer." she proudly introduced herself.

Embarrassed, Red buried his face in his hands. " _Oh no! Is this is really happening right now?!_ " he thought as he watched Blue rub his chin.

"Yes….yes! I believe I've read your articles on pokemon rights before!" he stated, making Red look up in shock.

" _WHAT?!_ "

Yellow was practically beaming with happiness. "R-really?!" she excitedly replied as she turned to Red. "Look Red! I'm getting a higher class of people reading my articles now!"

"O-oh….that's great Yellow!" he nervously replied as he continued to fidget about.

Unable to contain her excitement, Yellow suddenly pulled out a pad of paper. "Hey…..w-would you like to do an interview?" she asked, causing Reds eyes to go wide.

"Yellow! What are you doing?!" he harshly whispered in her ear, but she waved her hands in reassurance.

"It's okay Red, Oak labs have always treated their pokemon with the utmost care and I was hoping Mr. Blue would serve as an example of how to properly treat pokemon."

Red gritted his teeth in frustration. " _NO! We need to get out of here as fast as possible!_ " he yelled in his head, but to his surprise, Blue seemed to be all for the idea.

"Sure! I'll do an interview and prove why I'm the best around!"

Red was completely beside himself. There was his girlfriend and the boyfriend of his competition happily talking to one another and in the midst of all that was Leaf. She would periodically glance over at him with those sad eyes of hers as she dejectedly stood there and it was driving him crazy.

" _I would give anything to get out of this situation I'm in!_ " Red sighed as he watched these events unfold. However, his spirits were suddenly lifted as he spotted a well-dressed man, with gray hair, walking amongst the crowd, " _Wait a minute….._ "

Without thinking, Red tapped Yellows shoulder to get her attention. "Hey Yellow….." he whispered in her ear, "Who was that big wig from Devon Corp. that you really wanted to see tonight?"

"You mean Mr. Stone?"

"Yeah that's the one!" Red replied and pointed to the gray haired man, "Isn't that him over there?"

Yellow curiously looked over in the direction Red was pointing. "Why….I think you're right Red."

Knowing this was his only ticket out of this situation, Red quickly jumped on it. "Don't worry! I'll go stop him for you!" he quickly reassured her and bolted off in the gentleman's direction, "YO! S! Hold up!"

Yellow watched as he ran off and then quickly turned back to Blue and Leaf. "Umm….it was nice to meeting you both….b-but I….umm….I have to go!" she declared before running towards the grey haired gentleman as well, "Mr. Stone! I have some very choice words for you!"

Stunned by what just happened, Blue watched the two of them run off and shook his head. "What the hell was that all about?" He wondered, turning to Leaf.

"Nothing…" she muttered to him with her head still hung low.

Blue narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean nothing?!"

"It's nothing!" Leaf protested before finally looking up at her boyfriend, "Blue…..can you please just take me home?"

"Take you home?" Blue scoffed, "I'm hosting this party you idiot, I can't leave!"

Leaf sighed, she figured that asking Blue was a pointless effort and was too crushed to argue with him. "Fine….whatever…..I'll find my own way home….." she muttered and slowly walked away.

* * *

It was very late by the time Red returned to his house. He had just spent the past few hours listening to Yellow grill the president of Devon Corp. about the mistreatment of their pokemon and now he was really tired. Though, he had to admit, he had no one to blame for that but himself, after all….it was HIS suggestion after his run in with Leaf.

"Ugh…." Red sighed; just thinking about her sent a chill up his spine. He just couldn't believe the things he had said to her, it was like he became a completely different person.

He then looked over to see a content Yellow still prattling on about her accomplishments today. "…..you see Red, all these major corporations need to understand that using pokemon to assist in their everyday work is almost borderline slavery," she explained to him, "That's why I do what I do."

"Yes Yellow…..I get it…." Red groaned as they reached his house, "I've heard you explain that to me for the past 5 hours….."

Yellow could sense the level of frustration in Red's voice. "O-oh….I'm sorry…." she apologised, trying to figure out why he was so tense, "Umm….are you okay? You've been acting kinda weird tonight…."

Red shook his head. "Sorry….I've….just had a lot on my mind…." he explained to her.

"You're….thinking about that Leaf Green girl aren't you?" Yellow asked and Red slowly nodded.

"Yeah…" he replied, looking down at his feet, "I still can't believe what I said to her…."

Yellow shrugged. "Well….I guess that's what she gets for trying to stand against you!" she stated, trying to make Red feel better, but it wasn't helping.

"Why couldn't she just fold to me?" he wondered, "If she did, there wouldn't be a problem…."

The more Red thought about it, the more bothered he became by it and he frustratingly threw his hands in the air. "Look, I don't want to think about her right now! Okay?!" he stated as he unlocked the door to his house.

"Okay…..do you…want me to stay with you for a while?"

Red sighed deeply and shook his head. "If it's alright with you, I'd just really like to be alone right now….." he admitted and Yellow looked down at her feet.

"O-oh….a-alright…." she replied as she looked away, "I guess….I'll see you tomorrow…."

"Yeah….I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Red slowly closed the door behind him, sat down in a nearby chair and buried his face in hands. He just couldn't get over the things he had said to Leaf and the image of her shocked face flashed in his head over and over again.

"Pika?" A tiny voice called out to him and as Red looked up, he saw Pikachu staring at him with a concerned look on its face.

"Hey buddy….." Red muttered as his yellow partner jumped on his shoulder. As he petted Pikachu's head, Red sighed, he was so conflicted right now. On one hand, what he had said to Leaf was appropriate given that they were in competition with one another. But, on the other hand, she didn't deserve to be yelled at like that….especially after what she had done for him in the past.

Right now, Red just needed to talk to someone and get all his feelings out, but the question was….who? Ethan and Lance would probably tell him it was all a part of running a business and he didn't dare bring the subject up to Yellow. No….there was only one person that Red felt comfortable talking about his feelings with and even though he had never met her personally, he trusted her more than anyone else right now.

"Hey, I'm going to go message our friend," Red stated as he placed the yellow pokemon back on the floor, "You wanna come Pikachu?"

Pikachu happily nodded and the two walked over to the computer room.

Earlier that day, Red had already received a message from his anonymous friend and now it was his turn to reply. " _Boy….am I going to sound like a downer when I explain my feelings to her….._ " he thought as he closed the door behind him.

Red then turned on his PC and connected to the internet. However, just as he was about to open his e-mail account, Red was surprised to see that familiar prompt pop up on his screen.

*You have 1 new message*

"Huh? She messaged me again?" Red wondered as he stared at the prompt, "Usually she waits until I message her back….."

More curious than ever, Red quickly clicked the message to see what she had to say.

 **From: LUCKYGIRL**

 **Hey…..I hope you don't mind me asking you such a serious question, but….have you ever been in a situation where you've felt completely powerless?**

 **My whole life, I've always tried my best to be a kind, caring person and I love being like that. But…..today….I ran into a situation where I was hurt very badly. The worst part of it was that, when it happened….there was nothing I could do about it…..I just stood there like a statue, completely helpless to the situation I was in. At that time, there were so many words floating through my head, but no matter how hard I tried…..I just couldn't bring myself to say them and it frustrated me.**

 **I guess….I just wish I could become stronger and learn to speak my mind when needed. But, at the same time, I don't want to hurt people's feelings….it's not who I am…**

 **Like I said, I'm sorry for bringing this up to you, I just really needed to get this off my chest and…..I trust you with my feelings…...**

 **Thank you for listening to me,**

 **Good night :)**

A warm smile formed on Red's face as he read the entire message. " _Here I was about to message you about my problems and you already beat me to it!_ " he thought as he began to type his reply back, " _Don't worry, I'll make you feel better!_ "

* * *

Meanwhile, in an apartment a few blocks away, Cynthia ended up driving Leaf home and the two were currently enjoying each others company.

"Hey Leaf, where are your towels?" Cynthia called out from Leaf's bathroom.

"Top cupboard Cynthia!" Leaf yelled back as she sat down at her kitchen table.

A few seconds later, Cynthia emerged from the bathroom and the two conversed for a good portion of the night.

"Thanks for driving me home on such short notice….." Leaf thanked her blond haired friend and Cynthia patted her on the shoulder.

"Hey, that's what friends are for Leaf!" she reassured her before crossing her arms in disapproval, "I don't understand why Blue couldn't have driven you home! He should know better than to just ignore you like that!"

Leaf sighed and Cynthia could see that she was still bothered by everything that had occurred tonight.

"….sorry about what happened…." she apologized, "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…."

"I would have found out eventually…." Leaf noted, rubbing her temple in frustration, "I just feel like such an idiot right now….."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "Why? Because you were being yourself?" she stated, "Leaf you're a good person, you can't blame yourself for someone taking advantage of your generosity!"

"But….he was right…." Leaf admitted as she stared at her feet, "I really don't have anyone to blame but myself if the daycare fails…."

As she continued to stare down at the ground, Leaf suddenly felt the warmth of Cynthia's hand in her own. "Leaf….we're not going to give up." she ensured her, "…..and if we do go down….I promise…I'm going to be there with you, right until the end!"

Leaf stared at Cynthia in awe. "Thank you….." she muttered, "If it wasn't for you and Lyra….I don't know what I'd do….."

Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle. "Speaking of Lyra, how upset do you think she is that you invited me and not her to this party?"

A small smirk formed on Leafs face as she thought about that as well. "Oh….I'm sure I'll experience her wrath tomorrow!" she hollowly chuckled to herself.

Cynthia watched as whatever happiness Leaf had quickly faded from her face and it tore her apart to see her like this. "I just wish there was some way to cheer you up, this….sad look doesn't suit you…." she stated with concern.

"Sorry….." Leaf sighed as she watched Cynthia rub her chin in thought.

"Hey, why don't you message your mystery man after I leave? I'm sure that'll make you feel better!"

Leaf coyly shifted her eyes from side to side. "I…I already did!" she stammered and began to blush profusely, "I-I couldn't wait…."

Cynthia stared at her in shock. "Really?! When?"

"While you were in the bathroom."

"What?!" Cynthia gasped in shock, "Leaf! I was only in there for a few minutes!"

Leaf chuckled at her shocked expression, "I know! It didn't take me long; I knew exactly what I wanted to say to him." she proclaimed and Cynthia shook her head in content.

"Well if that's the case, get some rest okay!"

Leaf happily nodded. "Yeah! I will! Thanks for coming out with me!"

"No problem!" Cynthia reassured her as she made her way out of the kitchen. However, just as she was about to walk out the door, Cynthia stopped and turned to her friend, "…..and don't worry Leaf, tomorrow will be a better day, I promise!"

With that, Cynthia waved goodbye and after waving goodbye as well, Leaf closed the door and made her way back to her computer room.

She was just about to turn off her PC when suddenly there was a loud *DING* sound, indicating that she had just received a new message.

"H-he responded to me already?!" Leaf whispered to herself as she quickly sat down and opened the new message that had just appeared in front of her.

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good Evening! (Formality at its finest madam!)**

 **Well, let me tell you something! You're lucky I wasn't there with you or that person who had hurt you today would have had to bear witness to my wrath (And personally….I don't think they'd want that!)**

 **Look, don't feel bad about feeling powerless, I feel that way sometimes too. Though….I'll admit, I think sometimes my bigger problem is that I don't know when NOT to speak my mind.**

 **Hey! Here's an idea! What if I channeled my ability to speak my mind into you and then you could experience it for yourself?**

 **I warn you though, speaking your mind can be very rewarding, but it can also be very degrading. Just today, I had a situation where I told someone exactly what was on my mind and now I feel so horrible about it that I'm sick to my stomach. See, when you're in the heat of moment, you can end up saying some very…pompous, stupid things and…..you may not realize it at the time, but…it can hurt people.**

 **I'm just so frustrated right now because I just feel like….if I had taken the time to think about what I said today….things would have turned out a lot better than what they did.**

 **So….do I think you should speak up for yourself more often? If it makes you feel better (and as long as I'm not around to incur your wrath!) then go right ahead.**

 **But if you want my personal opinion…..I like you just how you are! You're an amazing person to talk too and….I hope that you never change.**

 **But….that's just me ;)**

 **Good Night! Sleep Well!**

Leaf was madly blushing as she finished reading the message. She couldn't believe that this mysterious person could be so sweet with their words and even though she just had one of the worst days of her life, this one message somehow made it all better.

"How did you know this was exactly what I needed to hear?" She wondered as she thought about how she wanted to reply.

As Leaf read through the message again, she suddenly felt the urge to be a little…..flirtatious in how she would respond.

" _You were so sweet to me and…..I think you deserve a reward for that!_ " Leaf mischievously thought to herself as she typed her reply back. This wouldn't be just any old reply, it was exactly what she was feeling at that moment and she really wanted him to know that.

It didn't take Leaf long to finish what she wanted to say and her face was completely flush as she sent the message off.

" _I can't believe I just sent that!_ " Leaf embarrassingly thought as she happily walked to her bedroom with the biggest smile on her face, " _But…it was worth it!_ "

* * *

"Piiikkaa!" Pikachu yawned while perched on Reds shoulder.

"Tired buddy?" Red yawned as well, "I think I'm ready for bed too…."

That said, Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and Red stretched as he stood up. "Believe me, I'll be happy once this day's behind me….." he sighed as he knelt down to turn off his PC.

However, just as he was about to press the button to turn it off, a sudden *DING* sound caught his attention.

"WHAT THE?!" He yelled as he jumped back up to see that familiar prompt pop up.

*You have 1 new message*

"S-she messaged me back already?" He wondered as he stared at the prompt, "But, I literally just messaged her!"

Extremely curious, Red quickly clicked on the message, excited to see what his anonymous friend had replied to him. However, nothing could have prepared Reds heart for what he read when he opened that message.

 **FROM: LUCKYGIRL**

 **I don't believe it! How is it that you always know what to say to make me feel better?**

 **I hope you don't think this is too forward of me but….*leans forward and kisses you softly* seriously, amazing people like you shouldn't have bad days!**

 **Thank you for everything! You don't know how much you've cheered me up tonight!**

 **Pleasant Dreams Sweetie ;)**

By the time he finished reading the message, Reds eyes were as wide as they could be and his face was flusher than it had ever been in his life.

"Woah…." He muttered as he read the message over and over again.

Despite only being words on his screen, it really felt like she had just kissed him on the lips and his mind began to wander as he thought more about it. In all the months that he had been talking to this anonymous girl, he had never seen her as anything more than a friend. But now, he had to wonder, was that still the case or was he starting to think of her as…more than just a friend.

Red then looked over to see Pikachu standing there with a mischievous smirk on its face.

"W-what are you smiling about?" He stammered before realizing that he was touching his lips where she had *kissed* him.

Pikachu laughed and Red embarrassingly lowered his hand, blushing profusely while doing so. "W-what she said to me was just a friendly gesture! T-that's all!" he declared, but the yellow pokemon clearly wasn't buying it.

Embarrassed, Red walked out of the computer room and as he did, Pikachu couldn't help but notice the enormous grin on his face. He couldn't hide it anymore; while Red may have considered their talks nothing but friendly chats in the past, tonight made one thing perfectly clear to him: Whoever this mysterious person was, Red had officially fallen for her.

* * *

 **Hey everyone, Bass again!**

 **Contrary to belief, I do plan to keep to my schedule of one chapter per month. That being said, chapter 5 might take a little longer than that. While I can't disclose what chapter 5 will be about, all I can say is that I'm not sure how I'm going to...format it yet. You'll just have to wait till chapter 5 to see what I'm talking about!**

 **As always, let me know what you guys thought of the chapter and I really want to thank you guys for all the feedback you've been giving me so far, it means alot to me.**

 **Thank you guys so much and until next time...ciao!**


	5. Chapter 5: Intimate Advice

**Hey everyone!**

 **Just a small forewarning, this chapter incorporates elements of a deleted scene from the movie that this story is based off of. As such things get a little...intense later on in the chapter and even though I'm sure for most of you it'll be the cleanest intensity you've ever seen (this IS a _T-rated_ fic after all). I still feel it necessary to give you guys a heads up.**

 **That being said, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Intimate Advice

A few weeks had passed since the night of Blue's party and change was in the air. Not only was winter rapidly approaching and the weather was getting colder; but, today also marked the long awaited grand opening of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre.

For Leaf, it was a day that had haunted her thoughts for months now and her confrontation with Red a few weeks ago, didn't help ease her fears. However, as strange as it was, Leaf was feeling….oddly calm.

That morning, she casually got up early, got dressed, messaged her mystery man and made sure to put on a jacket as she left her apartment. In a few minutes, she was on the streets of Saffron, happily humming to herself as she made her way to the daycare.

" _Today's just like any other day Leaf!_ " she reassuringly thought as she walked through the quiet streets of Saffron, " _You're going to go to work, see all the happy faces of your customers and go home! This pokemon centre isn't going to get you down!_ "

Leaf was just a few blocks away from her daycare, when all of a sudden; she spotted someone in the distance and came to a dead stop.

" _T-that's!_ "

She narrowed her focus and although he was still quite a ways up the road, Leaf couldn't mistake his signature red hat and jacket.

"I-it's him!" she gasped and her eyes started frantically darting from side to side as he rapidly approached her.

Ever since their confrontation at Blue's party, Leaf had tried her best to avoid Red as she was still shaken from what happened that night. Unfortunately, it seemed that every time Leaf went out, Red would always pop-up out of nowhere and it flustered her to no end.

" _This is bad!_ " she frightfully thought as he drew closer, " _I-I can't let him see me!_ "

Desperate for any place to hide, Leaf spotted a nearby tree and without thinking, quickly dove behind it. She then listened as his footsteps got closer and closer until a few seconds later, she saw Red physically walk by. As he did, Leaf couldn't help but feel compelled to curiously stick her head out from behind the tree and watch him. It was strange, while Leaf hated Red for using her the way he did, she couldn't deny that there was something about him that completely….fascinated her. After all, Red wasn't all that different in how he conducted himself compared to her and she remembered really admiring him when they first met.

As Leaf continued to observe him, she noticed that Red had a piece of paper in his hand and was reading it as he walked down the road.

" _I wonder…if he's nervous about his pokemon centre opening today?_ " she thought as she watched Red mumble to himself, " _Or….maybe he isn't….maybe he just knows his business is superior…._ "

In that moment, a sad expression began to form on Leaf's face. While she had done her best to block out her fear of Red's pokemon centre, the realization of the situation was all starting to come down on her.

" _Oh…..what am I going do?_ "

As she watched him walk away, Leafs mind began to wander as she recalled something her mystery man had told her a few days ago.

"There's no sense in worrying about something that hasn't happened yet…." she recited to herself, thinking back to their previous talks.

For Leaf, just the thought of her mystery man was enough to make her forget about her problems and bring a smile to her face. " _He really is an amazing person…._ " she sighed in content and the more she thought about "him", the more her mind began to wander.

Soon and without realizing it, a blush formed on Leaf's face. " _I wonder…..if he's thinking about me right now….._ " she giggled to herself _"….and if he is…I wonder if he's thinking about us ki-"_

"Excuse me miss!" a voice suddenly called out causing Leaf to jump in surprise, "Is everything okay?!"

She quickly snapped out of her daydream and looked over to see a man in a business suit, giving her the most bewildered look.

"H-huh?" Leaf wondered as she looked at him confused, "Y-yes! Everything's fine! Why?!"

"Well…."

Leaf watched as the man's eyes scanned down and as she did the same; Leaf saw that her arms were wrapped lovingly around the trunk of the tree she was hiding behind.

Shocked, her eyes widened as she witnessed the sight before her. " _Oh my gosh! W-what was I thinking about?!_ " Leaf embarrassingly thought as she quickly looked back up at the well-dressed man.

"I….uhh….oh…." she stuttered, trying to think of a convincing excuse for her actions, "Umm…d-didn't you know that today's…umm…. National…Hug Your Grass-type Pokemon Day?!"

A puzzled look formed on the man's face. "Is that so..." he curiously asked and Leaf quickly went along with it.

"Yes! Yes it is!" she proudly declared, turning back to the tree and hugging it tight, "See! I don't have a grass-type pokemon! So I'm giving all my affection to this lovely tree here!"

"Strange….I've never heard of someone celebrating like THAT before…." the man pondered as he rubbed his chin and walked away, "But…if that IS the case…I should probably get home and show some love to my Exeggutor..."

Leaf waited till the man was out of sight before hastily letting go of the tree and sighing heavily. "National Hug Your Grass-type Pokemon Day?!" she muttered and shook her head in disbelief, "Who would seriously believe that?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, people lined the streets of Saffron excitedly waiting for the new pokemon centre to open. Amongst them stood Red; flanked by his yellow capped assistant and the numerous nurses, doctors and store clerks that would soon be employed there.

"Are you nervous?" Ethan whispered to Red as they listened to Lance promote the new centre.

Red glanced over and slowly nodded. "A little…I'm not really that good at public speaking…" he admitted before turning his attention back to Lance's speech.

Everyone continued to listen intently to the dragon master until he finally announced "….and now I would like to introduce you to the young man in charge of this operation. The person who will one day succeed me as owner of this company and son of the former owner, Red!"

The crowd applauded loudly as Red slowly made his way to the podium that Lance was speaking at.

As he did, he could hear the crowd yell "Speech! Speech!" as loud as they could and Red couldn't help but get bashful at how enthusiastic they were being.

"Good morning." he spoke professionally into the microphone, "I'm glad everyone could be here for the opening of my new pokemon centre."

The crowd applauded and Red nervously looked down at the speech Ethan had prepared for him and looked back up. "Y-you know...I've been in this business for a long time…." he began, but as continued to read through what was prepared for him, Red couldn't help but feel that it wasn't authentic.

" _Sorry Ethan, but this script isn't me!_ " he thought before throwing the speech away and forcefully grabbing the microphone.

"Many years ago, my father started this business the day he found an injured Ratatta and healed it with his bare hands! From that day forth, he made it his dream to help every pokemon he could and no matter the size, worked tirelessly to ensure the best care possible for each and every single one of them!" Red passionately stated to the crowd. "I'll be the first to admit that my passion for this business may never be as strong as my fathers, but I will guarantee you this! As a former pokemon trainer, I know how important your pokemons heath is and I will do everything I can to offer you the best care possible!"

Ready to wrap things up, Red took a deep breath and glanced over at Lance who nodded reassuringly.

"That said!" he announced at the top of his lungs, "Ladies and Gentleman! Welcome to Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre!"

The crowd roared in approval as Red happily opened the doors to the centre and people rushed in as fast as they could.

* * *

It didn't take long before the pokemon centre was packed full of people and Red was positively beaming as he and Lance made their way through its crowded halls.

"Good speech!" Lance praised his disciple, "Nice and short!"

Embarrassed, Red nervously scratched the back of his head. "You always taught me to be precise and to the point!" he admitted.

"Well I'm glad SOMEONE actually listens to me!" Lance chuckled as he and Red stopped and looked around at what they accomplished.

"So…what do you think of the place?"

Lance rubbed his chin as he looked at all the happy customers. "I think….we literally have everything anyone could ever want in this pokemon centre." he stated, making Red even giddier.

"I know! It's so amazing!" he happily proclaimed and pulled Lance over to a nearby contraption, "Look! We even have our own berry fountain in case you get thirsty!"

Before Lance could say anything, Red quickly ran over to a nearby wall. "…..and check this out!" he stated, grabbing a sign off the wall, "We're offering 30% off everything for the first month!"

Lance couldn't help but smile at his disciple. Ever since Red's father passed away, he had taken up the task of teaching the young man about the in's and out's of the business and it looked like everything had paid off.

"Red….I've very proud of you." the dragon master said as he extended his hand, "…and I know your father would be too."

Red smiled as he extended his hand as well. "Thank you Lance….for everything…." he replied.

The two shook hands and before long they saw Ethan making his way through the crowd with two glasses in his hands and a small green pokemon in his arms.

"Gentleman! Drinks for each of you!" he announced as he presented both Red and Lance with a glass of berry juice, "A toast! To a new beginning!"

Red and Lance curiously looked at one another, unsure of who was going to be the first to address what they were both thinking.

"Ethan…." Red finally spoke up with a puzzled look on his face, "What are you doing with that Chikorita in your arms?"

Ethan happily looked down at the tiny pokemon and smiled. "Oh! I heard it was National Hug Your Grass-type Pokemon Day!" he stated as he presented the pokemon to the two of them, "So I brought my Chikorita here to show it some love!"

Red shook his head in bewilderment. "Were you aware of this Lance?" he asked and the dragon-master shook his head as well.

"No….I must have missed the memo…."

* * *

Unfortunately, while spirits were high at Red's new pokemon centre, the same could not be said for the Sunflora Daycare Centre.

The daycare was eerily quiet as Leaf and Lyra just stood there in silence, waiting for someone to come in.

"L-leaf..." Lyra finally spoke up to the brunette haired girl, "I-I figured things would be bad….but this is just terrible…."

In her heart, Leaf knew how true Lyra's words were, but she didn't want to admit it. "What do you mean Lyra?" she asked, trying to put on the bravest face she could for her friend.

"We…haven't had one customer the whole day….." Lyra noted, looking down at her feet.

Seeing how worried her friend was, Leaf reassuringly patted her on the back. "Don't worry Lyra! We can't give up hope! The day's just begi-"

*DING* the sound of a bell rang out, indicating that someone had entered the store.

Leaf immediately stopped as she and Lyra saw Cynthia walk in.

"Hi girls….." she greeted with a sad tone in her voice.

"Cynthia!" Lyra called out to her as she hung up her coat, "How does it look?"

Cynthia sighed, she knew they weren't going to like what she was about to tell them. "They're…lined up out the door….."

"Oh-no…." Lyra frightfully exclaimed, burying her head into her palms, "What are we going to do?"

"Come on girls, we need to stay positive!" Leaf quickly declared, "It's this pokemon centre's opening day! Of course people are going to be curious about it!

With as much passion as she could muster, Leaf grabbed both Lyra and Cynthia's hands and held them in her own. "We just need to wait this out and everything will be back to normal!" she assured them.

Touched by just how passionate she was, Lyra and Cynthia both nodded in agreement.

"You're right Leaf!" Lyra stated as she held her hand tight, "We can't lose hope!"

* * *

Despite Leaf's enthusiasm, in the weeks that followed, the state of the Sunflora Daycare Centre would not improve at all. Ever since Red's pokemon centre opened, the daycare was seeing nowhere near as many customers as it used to and it was really beginning to have a financial effect on it.

Two weeks had now passed and Leaf and Lyra were currently waiting to hear what Cynthia would have to say about their current financial position.

After a few hours of number crunching, Cynthia finally emerged from the back and Leaf quickly jumped to her feet, eager to see what she had to say.

"So….how does it look?"

Cynthia sighed deeply before slowly shaking her head. "It's not good….." she muttered, causing Lyra to jump to her feet as well.

"H-how bad are we talking Cynthia?" Lyra frightfully demanded.

Cynthia looked down at her feet, the news she was about to give was not going to be easy to say. "Unless we find some way to attract more customers…..we'll….only last….a few more months at best….."

Upon hearing that, Lyra covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my god…." she whispered to herself.

Leaf looked over at her with concern and reassuringly placed her hand on Lyra's shoulder. "Lyra….please don't worr-"

"How am I not supposed to worry Leaf?!" Lyra suddenly yelled at her and forcefully pushed Leaf's hand away, "This is the only job I've ever had! If I lose it…I'll….I'll….."

Unable to hold it any longer, Lyra openly wept into her hands and ran to the back in embarrassment.

"LYRA!" Leaf called out and was just about to run after her, when suddenly, she felt Cynthia grab her shoulder.

"Leave her be…she just needs to be alone right now…." Cynthia stated as they watched Lyra run to the back room.

Leaf's mouth quivered as she tried to think of something to say. Not only was she failing herself, but her friends too. "Cynthia….what…..what am I supposed to do?" she helplessly asked, turning to her blond haired friend.

Cynthia didn't know how to respond. Leaf looked so lost right now and all Cynthia could think to do was place her hand on her shoulder and try to keep her calm. "Leaf…I think you should stay home tomorrow and get some rest." she offered, causing Leaf to recoil in shock.

"What are you talking about?!" she yelled in disbelief, "I'm not leaving you both!"

"I appreciate you putting on such a brave face for us…..but, I can tell that this is really taking a toll on you…." Cynthia stated as she looked down at her brunette haired friend, "Don't worry! Lyra and I can handle it!"

"But….I-"

"Leaf…please…" a meek voice suddenly called out to her.

Leaf quickly turned around to see Lyra standing there, her eyes still red from crying. "Lyra…." she whispered upon seeing her friend.

"Leaf….I'm….I'm sorry I snapped at you." Lyra apologized, looking away as she did, "I'm….just….so scared….."

Unable to take it anymore, Leaf ran up to her friend and threw her arms around her. "Oh Lyra…." she said as she hugged her, "Believe me….I'm scared too…."

"I know! I know!" Lyra proclaimed as she hugged her back, "….and that's why you need to rest up tomorrow!"

Leaf nodded. "Alright…..I will..." she reassured her friend, "But...I promise you! I WILL find a way to get us out of this mess!"

With that, three said their goodbyes. However, just before Leaf could walk out of the daycare, she suddenly stopped and turned around.

"On my life! I swear it!"

* * *

Despite things looking bad for the Sunflora Daycare Centre, the same could not be said about Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre. Since the day of it's opening, the pokemon centre had been a massive success and was showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

"I can't believe it Red!" Ethan proclaimed as he patted his friend on the back, "It's been one hell of great start!"

"I agree…." Red sighed as stared out a nearby window, "It's unbelievable the profits we've made in only a few short weeks…."

Ethan sighed as well. Ever since the centre opened, Red had been working around the clock to ensure that everything was running smoothly and he could clearly see that it was starting to wear his friend down.

"Hey….Red?" Ethan spoke up as his friend turned back to him, "Why don't you take tomorrow off and get some rest?" he suggested and Red looked at him like he was completely crazy.

"Who's going to run the pokemon centre if I'm not here?!"

A confident smile formed on Ethan's face. "Me of course!"

Red looked at him in bewilderment. "You? Seriously?!" he exclaimed and Ethan nodded to him.

"Why not? I know this place just as much as you do!"

Red couldn't help but chuckle to himself. As wary as he was to put Ethan in charge, he couldn't deny that running the new pokemon centre was really tiring and that he needed a break from it all.

"Okay…." he reluctantly agreed, "Just make sure the pokemon centre's still standing when I get back!"

"You can count on me boss!" Ethan assured him, saluting Red as he did, "So….any plans for tomorrow?"

Red raised his eyebrow. "Like you need to ask!" he joked as Ethan rubbed his chin in thought.

"…battle square?"

"Battle square!" Red happily declared, "It's been so long since I've had a pokemon battle!"

Ethan chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm. "Well go get em Red!" he said as he waved goodbye, "I'll call you if anything comes up!"

"Thanks Ethan! Take care!" Red shouted as he waved back.

* * *

Words could not describe how happy Red was as he left his pokemon centre. This would be the first the day off he would have since the centre opened and he couldn't wait. Excited as ever, Red began to make his way home; however, along the way, his stomach began grumbling and Red decided to stop at a nearby Pokemart to pick up some food.

" _I wonder what I should make for Pikachu and I tonight?_ " he thought as he scanned over a shelf full of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As Red continued to scan over the shelf, he suddenly froze in place as he caught sight of something...unexpected. Out of the corner of his eye, Red spotted a familiar looking brunette haired girl, casually shopping for herself and the sight of her caused his heart to beat out of his chest.

" _I-it's her!_ " he frightfully thought to himself and quickly hid behind a stack of canned goods, hoping she wouldn't see him.

Just like Leaf, Red had been trying his best to avoid running into her since the night of Blue's party. He still felt terrible about the things that he had said to Leaf that night and now that his pokemon centre had officially opened, he didn't dare try to talk to her.

" _Why does she keep showing up everywhere I go?!_ " Red wondered as he peered at her from behind the cans, " _She's like a bad dream that won't go away!_ "

However, just like Leaf, Red couldn't help but admit that, even though he hated her as a rival…..there was a part of him that felt…..drawn to her as well. Even though she was his competition, he couldn't deny that she was a very….interesting person and as he continued to observe her, Red noticed just how tired she looked.

" _She looks so…..distressed…._ " he thought as he watched her walk up to the cash register, " _Now that the pokemon centre's opened, I wonder how her daycare's making ou-AHHH!_ "

*CRASH*

Red's thoughts were cut short as he accidentally bumped his arm into one of the cans and knocked over the whole stack he was hiding behind.

"OH! SHOOT!" he shouted as he quickly scrambled to pick them up.

* * *

Thankfully for Red, Leaf was completely oblivious to his escapades as she stood in line to pay for her groceries. Right now, there was the only thing that encompassed her mind and that was her daycare.

" _I just don't know what to do….._ " Leaf thought as she hopelessly looked around the Pokemart, " _I want to save my daycare so bad…..but, what else can I do? There's nothing I can offer that Red's pokemon centre can't!_ "

"EXCUSE ME!" she suddenly heard the voice of the cashier yell at her, "Are you planning on paying for this any time soon?!"

Leaf shook her head as she came back to reality and saw a huge line up of angry customers glaring at her from behind, "Umm….yeah…just give me a second."

She quickly reached into her pocket to pull out some pokedollars….only to find that there was nothing there.

"Oh-no!" Leaf gasped, frantically checking every pocket she had, "A-all my money must have fallen ou-"

"Hey lady! Pay or get out of the line!" a customer suddenly yelled out to her, causing Leaf to become even more agitated.

"Yeah! Quit wasting our time!" another called out and soon it seemed like every customer in the store was yelling at her.

"P-please! Just wait a sec-"

"Here!" a voice suddenly yelled out, silencing everyone in the Pokemart as he slammed a bunch of pokedollars on the counter, "It's on me…"

Leaf's entire body froze; it didn't take her long to realize who that voiced belonged too and as she slowly turned around, there he was; red cap and all.

"….and I'll take these too please." Red nonchalantly added as he put his groceries on the counter as well.

Leaf stared at him in disbelief. "Y-you!" she blurted out as the cashier happily gave him his change.

"Thank you very much!" he said to the cashier before casually turning to Leaf, tipping his hat to her and walking away.

Stunned by what just happened, Leaf quickly grabbed her own groceries and bolted out of the Pokemart after him.

"HEY! WAIT!"

* * *

As fast as her feet could carry her, Leaf ran after Red hoping to stop him. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" she called out as she finally caught up to him, "W-what was that for?"

Red stopped as he heard her voice, but didn't turn around. "Do….I need a reason to help people?" he cryptically stated, tipping his hat over his eyes.

"Hmph! I suppose you expect me to be grateful for that?!" Leaf sternly replied, crossing her arms and turning away in the process, "Perhaps you think I'm going to fold to you now?!"

Red shook his head before turning to face her. "The offer's still there if you ever change your mind!" he sarcastically replied causing Leaf to narrow her eyes.

"Well that's never going to happen mister!"

Despite being absolutely terrified on the inside, Red decided he should play this encounter as cool as possible. After all, he couldn't let her one-up him. "So tell me….how's your daycare holding out?" he curiously asked as she stared daggers at him.

Unwilling to let Red one-up her either, Leaf forced the best smile she could and quickly responded with. "Oh! My daycare's doing just fine! Thank you very much!"

"Is that so?" Red smartly remarked as he leaned towards her.

"Yes!" Leaf stated, leaning towards him as well, "As a matter of fact, not only is it fine; it's BETTER than fine!" she proudly declared.

Red was at a loss for words. There was only an inch of space between the two of them and Leaf was staring at him so intensely that he couldn't help but start to chuckle at her.

"W-what's so funny?" she stammered as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"I don't know if anybody's ever told you this before…..but, you look really cute when you're flustered!"

No sooner did those words leave his mouth and Leaf's face turned completely flush. "S-shut up!" she stammered and noticing just how little room there was between the two of them, quickly backed away.

Her embarrassment only made Red chuckle even more. "Well…if that _**IS**_ the case Ms. Leaf Green…" he trailed off as he turned away from her, "…..colour me impressed!"

With that said, Red was just about to walk away, when he suddenly stopped and a smirk formed on his face.

"Oh by the way…." he noted as he turned around to face her again, "….I wouldn't eat some of that stuff Leaf; it's not good for you!"

As if Leaf's face wasn't flush already, his statement only served to make it even redder. "Y-you!" she stammered, frantically looking down at her groceries.

Red chuckled before turning away. "Ciao!" he said, waving goodbye.

Leaf watched as he casually walked away, her face still flush with embarrassment. " _W-who does he think he is?!_ " she thought as she picked up her groceries and began walking home, " _No…I can't let him cloud my mind right now! I need to focus on finding a way to save my daycare!_ "

* * *

Despite being told to rest, Leaf didn't sleep at all that night. Just the thought of her daycare potentially being forced to close scared her deeply and she paced around her room for most of the night trying to think of someway she could save it. Of course, Leaf wasn't just doing this for herself; the jobs of both her friends were on the line as well.

Hours past as she continued to frantically pace around her room and it wasn't long before morning came around and the sun began to shine through her window.

" _It's morning already…._ " Leaf thought as she sat on her bed, completely exhausted, _"….and I still don't have any ideas of what to do…._ "

Frustrated, Leaf decided to take a break from thinking about her daycare and made her way to her computer room to message her mystery man. It was currently Leaf's turn to reply and she pondered whether she should try asking him for advice on this situation.

" _It's definitely a long shot…._ " Leaf thought as she booted up her PC. " _But…if there's anyone who could potentially help me right now….it's him…._ "

* * *

Little did Leaf know, that in a house only a few blocks away, her mystery man hadn't slept very much either and was currently up and about.

"I should have known you wouldn't let me sleep in on my day off Pikachu!" Red grumbled as he poured some pokemon food into his electrical partner's bowl.

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu contently replied as it proceeded to stuff its face.

"Yeah….yeah…I know….all good pokemon battlers should rise early…." he yawned as he made himself something to eat as well.

It didn't take Red and Pikachu long to finish their meal and within a few minutes, they were ready to start the day.

"Are you excited buddy?" Red asked, scratching Pikachu's ear as it rested on his shoulder. "Those rookie trainers at the battle square have had it way too easy since we've been gone!"

Red watched as his partner turned and smiled at him. "Pika!" Pikachu confidently stated, raising its fist in the air.

"That's the spirit!" Red exclaimed, standing up and raising his fist as well, "Let's do this!"

However, before Red could get too excited, Pikachu quickly jumped off his shoulder and ran down the hall.

"Pika! Pika!" it excitedly said, pointing to his computer room.

"Oh right!" Red replied, slapping his head in the process, "We haven't checked to see if we got a message from our friend yet!"

Unable to contain their excitement, the two quickly ran into the computer room. "Come on Pikachu!" Red called out as he turned on his PC.

They waited in anticipation for the PC to boot up and connect to the internet. However, as Red proceeded to open his email account, he was surprised by what he saw. There was no message to be seen; however, beside his anonymous friend's user-name was a strange little icon that Red had never seen before.

"What's this?" he wondered as he hovered his mouse over the icon and all too soon, he began to piece it all together, "W-wait! D-does this mean…..she's online right now?!"

More curious than ever, Red clicked the icon and his eyes widened as a chat box opened up.

"Pikachu….." he whispered, turning to his yellow partner, "Should we…..actually try talking to her?"

Pikachu stared at the chat box as well before turning to its trainer and nodding in approval.

"Pika! Pika!"

Red took a deep breath, his fingers twitching as he nervously hovered them above the keyboard. "Okay…." he muttered, "I don't know what's going to happen…but, let's give this a try….."

* * *

On the other end of the PC, Leaf was beside herself, struggling to figure out a way to ask her mystery man for advice.

" _No! No! No!_ " she thought as she completely erased another message that she had composed, " _It just doesn't sound right!_ "

Frustrated, Leaf slumped back into her chair. " _Why can't I just say what's on my mind?_ " she sighed before leaning forward and attempted to write her message again:

 **FROM: LUCKYGIRL**

 **I'm sorry for bringing this up to you; but, I'm in a lot of trouble and I was wondering if you could give me some adv…..**

Completely, focused on what she was doing, nothing could prepare Leaf for what happened next.

*DING*

 **THECHAMPION151: Hello there!**

The loud sound, followed by the sudden text box popping up caused Leaf to literally jump out of her chair. "EEK!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as another message popped up as well.

 **THECHAMPION151: What's a nice girl like you, doing online at a time like this ;)**

Completely flustered, Leaf leaned towards the screen to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "I-it's him! IT'S REALLY HIM!" she gasped, covering her mouth in an attempt to contain her excitement.

As quick as she could, Leaf sat back down in her chair and unable to think of a way to respond back, literally replied with the first thing that was on her mind.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: JERK! YOU SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME!**_

Upon seeing her response, Red and Pikachu guiltily looked at one another.

"Oops…." Red mumbled, nervously scratching the back of his head.

 **THECHAMPION151: Oh sorry….it's just….I've never seen you online at the same time as me and I thought I'd give this a try!**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Ohhhh! Well sweetie…if you reeeaaallllyyy want to know what I was doing…I have the day off and was just about to message you :)**_

 **THECHAMPION151: Hey! ME TOO! What were you going to say to me?**

Leaf bit her lip. She was having such a hard time trying to explain her problem to him before and now he was RIGHT there, anticipating what she was going to say.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: I….almost don't want to tell you….I've been bogging you down with enough of my problems lately…..**_

Red sighed. He had to admit, it was definitely no lie that she had been confiding in him a lot lately; but…truth be told, that didn't bother him one bit. He'd do anything to make her happy.

 **THECHAMPION151: It's okay, you can tell me. What's wrong?**

Leaf smiled as she saw his response, "Thank you for understanding…." she whispered as she began to type back.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Well…there's been some….trouble where I work and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job…..**_

She then paused before continuing, " _It's okay Leaf….just say what's on your mind…._ " she thought before finally asking.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: I was wondering….if you could…possibly help me? Maybe give me some advice on what I should do?**_

Red carefully read over her request, " _So…you need business advice huh…._ " he pondered, confidently rubbing his chin while doing so, " _Lucky for you, that's my specialty!_ "

 **THECHAMPION151: Well….I HAVE been known to be a…..master of giving advice! What's your job?**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: I can't tell you that silly ;) Remember? No specifics!**_

"Oh for the love of-" Red slapped his head in frustration, "This is NOT the time to play hard to get madam!" he sighed as he tried to think of another way to ask.

 **THECHAMPION151: Oookkkaaayyyy…..then let's approach this from a different angle….what's the problem?**

Leaf sighed as well as she tried to think of a way to explain her problem without giving any specific details.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL:**_ _**Financially….the place I work can't compete with our competition and I just don't know what to do to make us relevant again…..**_

A smirk formed on Reds face as he read through her dilemma, "That's simple!" he proclaimed before confidently typing back.

 **THECHAMPION151: Sounds to me like you need a "super effective" move!**

Leaf stared at what he had wrote completely confused, " _A super….effective….move?_ " she pondered, trying to figure out what he meant, " _What's he talking about?!_ "

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: A what?**_

 **THECHAMPION151: It's a pokemon battling term. It means that you need to figure out what your enemy's weakness is and find a way to exploit it!**

As if Leaf wasn't confused with what her mystery man was talking about before, now she was REALLY confused. "Pokemon….battling?! How's that going to help me save my daycare?!" Leaf stated, rolling her eyes in the process, "Ughh….men and their priorities!"

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: What is it with guys and pokemon battling? I've never understood the appeal.**_

Now it was Red's turn to stare at his screen confused, "What is it with guys and pokemon ba-WHAT IS IT WITH WOMEN AND NOT UNDERSTANDING POKEMON BATTLING?!" he literally yelled at his PC causing Pikachu to laugh at his ridiculousness, "You know what?! NO! I refuse to have another Yellow on my hands! You're getting the full explanation as to why it's so awesome!"

 **THECHAMPION151: There's a certain….art to it! You could even say….pokemon battling is essentially an allegory of everyday life!**

Leaf covered her mouth, trying her best not to laugh herself to death from what he wrote. "An….allegory…of everyday life?!" she giggled to herself, "Is he being serious?!"

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Oh? Is that fact sweetie ;)**_

 **THECHAMPION151: YES! YES! IT IS! For example: If there was….a fire in my kitchen, how would I put it out?**

Red rolled his eyes as he thought of an old song that helped him remember type weaknesses. "The fire type's weak to the…water type!" he sang to himself before answering his question.

 **THECHAMPION151: You would either splash some water on it because fire is weak to water or throw some dirt on it and smother it because fire is weak to ground. Do you see what I mean?**

Leaf shook her head in disbelief. Of all things she did not anticipate when she asked for advice; it was getting lectured on how pokemon battling could be used to explain everyday life. Despite this, Leaf did feel like she was starting to understand what her mystery man was trying to get at. Even though she had no way of offering more services than Red's pokemon centre, there had to be some…."super-effective move" Leaf could do that would attract more customers and catch Red off guard. The only question was…..what?

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Yes….I think I understand…..but what's your point?**_

 **THECHAMPION151: My point is; if you want to save your job, you need to find that super effective move to use against your enemy and fight!**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Fight…..**_

Pikachu watched as Red enthusiastically raised his fist in the air, just like he did in battle.

 **THECHAMPION151: Fight with everything you've got! FIGHT TO THE DEATH!**

Leaf's entire room was silent as she read that statement to herself and in that moment, it all came to her. If she was going to save her job, she was going to have to do something…..bolder than she had ever done before.

"…fight! I have to fight back!" Leaf exclaimed, rising out of her chair as she did. It was the only thing she could do that Red wouldn't expect.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: You're right! I can't give up!**_

Leaf was so happy; she was literally pounding on the keyboard as she typed back.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: I'M GOING TO DO IT! I'M GOING TO GIVE IT EVERYTHING I GOT!**_

 **THECHAMPION151: That's my girl! I know you can pull through this!**

With ideas now flowing into her head, Leaf confidently sat back down in her chair. It had taken the entire night, but she had finally figured out what to do….and it was all thanks to him.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! You have no idea much better I feel right now!**_

Even though he couldn't see her face to face, Red could tell just how happy she was and a warm smile formed on his face as he typed back.

 **THECHAMPION151: Anything for you :)**

Leaf read what her mystery man said and blushed; she was really grateful to him for all that he had done for her. Now that her problem had been taken care of and considering that she had him right there with her, Leaf really felt like being a little….flirtatious with him.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Hey….maybe you could help me with another problem I have….**_

"Wow….she is just full of problems today, huh Pikachu?" Red stated as he petted his electrical partners head, "Oh well, let's see what she has to say….."

 **THECHAMPION151: Sure….what's the problem?**

A mischievous grin formed on Leaf's face as she typed back.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: What if I told you…..I wanted to…seduce a certain guy ;)**_

Shocked at what he just read, Red leaned closer to the screen to make sure he wasn't seeing things. " _S-seduce?!_ " he thought as he stared at what she had written, " _W-what does she mean by that?_ "

 **THECHAMPION151: Depends…..who's the lucky guy…**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Oh….*runs my finger down your face* just some sweet guy who selflessly helped me today…**_

" _W-what's she doi_ -"Red's thoughts were cut short as he felt his heart start to beat faster. " _Uhh…j-just play this cool Red!_ "

 **THECHAMPION151: Oh…I see...**

Leaf giggled to herself. Even though she couldn't see him, Leaf could tell that she was making him nervous and she loved every second of it.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Soooooo tell me….what would you do if I knocked on your door right now?**_

 **THECHAMPION151: I would…..answer it….eagerly…**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: And….what if….when you opened it…..I was standing there….in a tight black dress?**_

Reds eyes began darting from side to side as he began to think about what she just described. "I-is this really happening?"

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Then suddenly, one of my straps "accidentally" falls down my shoulder.**_

"Oh my god! This is really happening!" he declared, hesitating to think of the best way to reply.

 **THECHAMPION151: I would…..stare at you…..intently…..**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: And while you were staring at me….what would you think if I walked up to you and kissed you softly on the lips?**_

 **THECHAMPION151: I'd…consider that a very super-effective move!**

Red slapped his forehead. "No! Stupid! STUPID!" he yelled, slapping it over and over again, "This is NOT the time to be thinking about the battle square Red!"

 **THECHAMPION151: I-I mean…..I would slowly wrap my arms around you and kiss you back.**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: MMM! I like the sound of that! *Starts unbuttoning your shirt***_

Reds eyes widened as far as they could go. "Woah now!" he gasped as he found himself instinctively looking down at his shirt, "J-just how far is she going with this?!"

 **THECHAMPION151: W-wait! If I may ask, just how far are we planning on taking this?**

The grin on Leafs face grew even bigger. Right now, she had him right where she wanted and him and she wasn't about to let up.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: *Slides my finger down your chest* that depends….how far do YOU want to take this?"**_

 **THECHAMPION151: Y-you can't just answer my question with a question!**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: I just did ;) What are you going to do about it?**_

 **THECHAMPION151: H-hey! That's not fair!**

Leaf was beside herself laughing, she couldn't get over just how resilient her mystery man was being with her. Despite this, Leaf wasn't about to give up; she was going to make him succumb to her no matter how "hard to get" he tried to be.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Oh come on….*rubs my leg against yours* how long do you plan on resisting me?**_

There was a long pause as Red sat in his chair with eyes closed. "…..resisting..." he muttered to himself.

He didn't know what it was about that word that set him off; but, Red wasn't about to be one-upped and slowly typed back.

 **THECHAMPION151: ...do you…..seriously think I'm resisting you?**

Pikachu watched as he suddenly got up out of his chair and immediately shut every single blind, curtain and door he had in the house before sitting back down and continuing.

 **THECHAMPION151: *Carefully slides your other strap down your shoulder* because if you do, I can guarantee you this…..**

Red stopped and glanced over at his yellow partner. "Pikachu….you'd better close your eyes!" he stated before turning back to his PC and typing.

 **THECHAMPION151: …you couldn't be more WRONG! *pulls you in close and kisses you hard***

Taken aback by what she just read, Leaf's breathing intensified at her mystery man's sudden change in attitude.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: *happily kiss you back* You…..**_

She couldn't contain herself anymore. Without thinking; Leaf quickly jumped out of her chair, leaned over her keyboard and intensely typed.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: God! I want you so bad!**_

Unbeknownst to her, Red stood up and leaned over his keyboard as well.

 **THECHAMPION151: Not as bad as I want you!**

Completely captivated by the moment; Leaf leaned even closer to her screen.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: *leaps into your arms* Then why don't you just shut up and take me already?!**_

Red narrowed his eyes and smirked as he leaned forward as well.

 **THECHAMPION151: *Catches you and stares into your eyes* You don't have to tell me twice! *Leans down and passionately kisses you***

* * *

The two continued to exchange passionate words with one another for the next few minutes; the intensity of which, growing with every word they typed….until finally…..

*FUUUFFF* Was the sound Red's chair made as he fell back into it.

" _What…..the hell…...just….happened?_ " he wondered as he looked around his computer room, panting heavily. After taking a few minutes to catch his breath, Red glanced over at his PC to see that another message had popped up.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Thanks sweetie! *hugs you tight* You really are the most incredible person I know ;)**_

On the other side of the screen, Leaf was trying her best to catch her breath as well. "Wow….." she gasped in amazement, "I can see what Lyra and Cynthia were always raving about!"

Astonished with how happy she was right now, Leaf looked back at her PC and what she saw made her giggle.

 **THECHAMPION151: *hugs you back* Well….if that's the case then...I guess that would make you….double incredible!**

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: DOUBLE incredible? That has to be the corniest complement I've ever heard ;)**_

"Oh….thanks!" Red chuckled as he read what she replied to him and while he wanted to respond with a sarcastic reply of his own, he just couldn't do it.

 **THECHAMPION151: That may be but…..it doesn't change that I meant every word of it….you really are.**

Leaf blushed madly as she read the kind words he wrote to her. Even if it was only for a moment, Leaf felt like she was…..free...and all her problems that she had, just completely faded from her mind. Right now, all she wanted was to tell her mystery man how she truly felt…but hesitated, not knowing how he would react.

 _ **LUCKYGIRL: Hey…..there's something I really want to tell you….**_

With an idea of what she might say in mind, Red eagerly leaned right up against his screen in anticipation.

 **THECHAMPION151: Yes?**

Leaf took a deep breath as she slowly started typing what she wanted to say.

 _ **LUCKGIRL: I…**_

"LEAF!"

"EEEK!" Leaf screamed at the top of her lungs as she instantly recognized the voice yelling at her from behind. Without thinking, she quickly pulled the plug out of her computer to shut it down and turned around to see Blue walking towards her.

"O-oh Blue!" Leaf stammered as he walked into the computer room, "I-I didn't hear you come in!"

"Uhh…yeah I just came to get my briefcase that I left here the other night….." he said as he stared at her like she was the craziest person in the world, "What are you doing?!"

Leaf's eyes widened as she tried to think of the best excuse she could. "I-it's….my….computer!" she stuttered as she looked down at her PC, "I-it won't turn on!"

Blue shook his head as he bent down to inspect her PC. "That's because it's unplugged you idiot!" he declared as he plugged her computer back in.

"O-oh! M-my bad!" Leaf nervously replied as she scratched the back of her head, "I guess that's why you're the genius scientist and I'm not!"

Blue stood back up and a confused look formed on his face. "Seriously! What the hell's wrong with you?!" he wondered as he watched her fidget about, "Why's your face all flush and sweaty?"

Leaf felt herself start to sweat even more as she tried to think of another convincing excuse. "T-that's…..*cough* *cough*…sick!" she fibbed as she began to cough even more, "Very sick! That's why I stayed home today!"

Upon hearing that, Blue immediately backed away in disgust. "Well stay away! I don't want to catch your stupid cold!" he stated, failing his arms in the air.

" _Uhh….you came to me…._ " Leaf sarcastically thought as she replied, "I wouldn't want you catching my stupid cold either Blue!"

"Well, then you'd better rest up today!" Blue demanded, intensely pointing at her as he did, "…..and don't you dare call me until you get better!"

"Y-you got it!" Leaf replied as Blue turned around and walked towards the door.

However, before he could leave, Leaf called out to him. "H-hey…Blue…." she asked, causing him to turn around, "Have you ever heard of a _**super—effective move**_ before?"

Blue looked at her dumbfounded. "Duh! Of course I have!" he scoffed, "It's a pokemon battle term!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other end of the conversation, Red was losing his mind as his anonymous friend suddenly went offline before she could finish what she was saying.

"S-SHE PULLED OUT ON ME!" he yelled at the top of his lungs causing Pikachu to curiously look over at him.

Red froze upon realizing what he just said and immediately started frantically waving his hands in the air. "N-NO! NO!" he stammered as he turned to his yellow partner, "I-I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!"

Unfortunately, for Red, the deed was done and Pikachu was now rolling on the floor laughing at him.

More embarrassed than ever, Red's face turned the same colour as his name. "H-hey! S-stop that laughing Pikac-"

*RIINNGGG*

Red stopped as he suddenly felt his phone go off and quickly scrambled to grab it.

"HELLO!" he yelled into it as loud as he could.

"What the hell Red!" a voice yelled back, "Don't scream into your phone! You almost made me deaf!"

Realizing who it was, Red quickly apologized. "S-sorry Ethan...you just caught me off guard!"

"Caught you off g-Ohhhh! What were you doing?!" Ethan slyly asked him, "Nothing….naughty I hope!"

Not realizing that Ethan was just joking, Reds face turned even flusher. "N-no! Of course not!" he exclaimed in embarrassment, "Why'd you call me?!"

"I just wanted to let you know that things are running smoothly at the pokemon centre." Ethan explained to him, "Did you go to the battle square yet?"

"N-no! N-not yet!" Red stuttered as he tried to calm himself down. He was so embarrassed that he could literally feel steam begin to rise from the heat of his face and without thinking, suddenly blurted out, "H-hey Ethan? Do you….take a cold shower every morning?"

"Uhhhhh…..no…..why?"

"G-good! M-me neither!" Red immediately agreed, "I-I'd rather swim in the ocean! It's colder….."

For the next few seconds, there was nothing but dead silence over the phone until Ethan finally mustered the courage to ask. "Red…are you sure you're oka-"

"YES! I'M FINE! I'M LEAVING NOW! BYE-BYE! SEE YOU LATER!" Red yelled before quickly hanging up the phone and slumping back down in his chair.

"Oh boy….." he heavily sighed and began rapidly tapping his finger as he tried to figure out what to do next.

Barely a second passed by before Red suddenly sprang back up from his chair. "SHOWER! I need a shower!" he declared before quickly turning off his PC and marching out the door, "God! I feel so dirty right now…."

Pikachu could only watch in bewilderment as its trainer quickly stomped his way down the hall…..only to come to a complete stop and quickly start walking the other way.

"...shower's THIS way!" Red pointed out as he passed by the tiny electrical pokemon.

As he made his way down the hall, Red was grinning ear to ear. He just couldn't get over how happy he was right now….and it was all thanks to her. " _She's so amazing! I really hope everything works out for her!_ " he thought as walked into his bathroom; completely oblivious to the fact that he had just….unintentionally …..influenced his competition.

* * *

Back at Leafs apartment, Leaf sighed in relief as Blue finally left.

"That was too close…." she muttered as she turned her PC back on. However, upon reconnecting to the internet, Leaf saw that the icon next to her mystery man had faded, indicating that he wasn't there anymore.

"Aww….he's gone…." Leaf pouted before shutting her PC off.

As disappointed as she was, Leaf knew what it was she had to do now. Starting tomorrow, she was going do everything she could to find that super-effective move and use it against Red and his pokemon centre. No longer could she be just Leaf Green, the kind, sweet owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre. Instead, she had to do exactly what her mystery man said: Fight! FIGHT TO THE DEATH!

* * *

 **Hey everyone, Bass again.**

 **Just letting you guys know that, out of all the 12 chapters this story's going to be, the next chapter is the only one I'm...not entirely sure how I want to write. As such, it may take a little longer to come out and I may reach out for a few ideas if I get too stuck. (Or it may just come out 3 weeks from now like the other chapters lol!)**

 **That being said, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and...I'll see ya next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Price of Success

Chapter 6: The Price of Success

" _How much pressure can a stone take…..before it finally breaks?_ "

That was the thought that encompassed Cynthia's mind as she drove towards the Sunflora Daycare Centre. The elderly trainer hadn't slept at all that night as Leaf's final words to her yesterday continued to echo throughout her head.

" _ **I promise you; I WILL find a way to get us out of this mess!**_ "

" _ **On my life! I swear it!**_ "

A few minutes later, she finally arrived at the daycare and after parking her car, Cynthia sighed deeply. That whole night she had tried calling Leaf numerous times but never got any response and was really worried about her.

" _I suppose…she just wanted to be alone last night…._ " the elderly trainer thought as she stepped out of her car.

Upon crossing the road, Cynthia looked up and stared longingly at the place she called her work. It was Leaf's mother's kindness that initially attracted her to this daycare and their friendship is what made her want to stay in Kanto, even after she retired. If it was up to her, Cynthia would gladly pay for all the expenses the daycare needed to stay in business….but, unfortunately, that wasn't an option. Despite being quite wealthy from being a former champion, the fact was that she was retired and wouldn't be able to continuously cover the cost of it.

" _I don't know what kind of plan you came up with last night Leaf….._ " she stressfully thought to herself, " _…..but I hope it works….."_

That in mind, Cynthia took a deep breath as she proceeded to grab the doorknob and open the door to the daycare. However, nothing could prepare her for what she saw when she opened that door.

"Good morning gir-"

"HAAAAA!" A voice cried out and Cynthia quickly looked around to see Leaf standing in a corner of the daycare, punching at the air.

"1-2-3!" Leaf yelled out before beginning to dance around the daycare, singing to herself as she did.

There were no words to describe the sight Cynthia saw before her and she found herself just standing there with a baffled expression on her face.

" _What in the name of-_ "

"Oh! Good morning Cynthia!" Lyra greeted to her as she casually walked past with a pile of books in her arms.

Without thinking, Cynthia quickly grabbed Lyra's shoulder and spun her around. "Hold it!" she demanded, pointing at Leaf, "What's with her?"

Lyra quickly glanced over at her brunette haired friend before turning back to Cynthia and shrugging. "You're asking me?!" she confusingly replied to the elderly trainer, "Last night she left here all upset. Then I come in this morning and find her shadow boxing like a frigging Hitmonchan!"

The two watched as Leaf danced her way to the front of the daycare and Cynthia finally took the opportunity to stop her.

"Leaf! What's going on here?!" she yelled out, grabbing Leaf's hand as she did.

As Leaf turned to face her, Cynthia saw that her eyes were practically sparkling with excitement. "Oh Cynthia! I've figured it out! I've finally figured it out!" she happily declared to the elderly trainer.

"Figured….what out?"

"How to save the daycare!" Leaf exclaimed with glee as she grabbed both of Cynthia's hands and bounced up and down, "I've finally figured out what we need!"

Unsure of what manner of words might come out of her friend's mouth, Cynthia hesitated to ask. "….and….that…..is….."

A huge smile formed on Leaf's face as she enthusiastically raised her fist in the air and declared. "We need a super effective move!"

Words could not describe the look of sheer confusion on both Lyra and Cynthia's faces as they glanced over at one another with their mouths agape. "Huh?" they said in unison.

Overcome with joy, Leaf squealed with excitement before letting go of Cynthia's hands and resuming her dance around the daycare.

"She's flipped…." Lyra muttered to herself before turning towards Cynthia and whispering in her ear, "Alright Cynthia! You hold her down and I'll call the authorities!"

Cynthia rolled her eyes at Lyra's suggestion. "Leaf!" she shouted as she quickly ran over to her brunette haired friend, "Perhaps you could…..elaborate on what you meant by that?"

Embarrassed, Leaf nervously scratched the back of her head. "W-well….it actually wasn't my idea…" she bashfully admitted, "It was something my mystery man told me last night!"

"Ohhh!" Lyra gleefully exclaimed as she ran up to her as well, "Well, that explains it!"

"Explains…..what?"

"Why you're so happy today!" Lyra clarified, nudging her friend in the side. "You had cyber-sex last night! Didn't you?"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Lyra, don't you see?" she passionately asked, grabbing her friend's shoulders as she did, "It means that we need to make a move that Red and his pokemon centre would never expect!"

"O-okay…." Lyra stammered as she watched Leaf climb on top of one of the counters.

"Girls! We can't just sit back and let this pokemon centre walk all over us!" she passionately lectured, jabbing at the air as she did. "We have to fight back! Show them that we mean business!"

Right now, neither Cynthia nor Lyra knew how to respond to their friend's enthusiasm; they were both at a loss of words.

"I don't know what has me more scared…." Lyra dully muttered to herself as she watched her friend air box on top of the counter, "This plan of yours or the fact that you never denied what I just asked you….."

Cynthia could only sigh before finally asking. "…and just what kind of plan did you come up Leaf?"

No sooner did those words leave her mouth and Leaf's face suddenly lit up. "Okay! So I figured that if we're going to go through with this, we'll need supporters right?!" she declared, raising her finger as she did, "So I came in early this morning and called all our loyal customers!"

Cynthia's face turned white as a ghost. "W-what did you say to them?!" she demanded as Leaf turned away and shrugged.

"I simply told them that the Sunflora Daycare Centre was in trouble and if there was any way they could help us out!"

Afraid of what Leaf might say next, Cynthia really hesitated to ask. "…..and?"

Leaf turned around with a sly grin on her face. "They offered to organize a protest in front of Red's pokemon centre!"

Both Cynthia and Lyra's eyes widened at that statement. "Isn't that….illegal?" Lyra quickly whispered in the elderly trainer's ear.

Cynthia shook her head, trying her best to be the voice of reason. "Leaf…..while I understand that you want to the save the daycare using any means necessary…." she paused, trying her best to comprehend everything that was just said to her, "I just don't know if this…aggressive tactic of yours is the best appro-"

*DING!" the sound of the door opening rang out, cutting Cynthia off and the 3 girls quickly looked over to see a young girl, standing in the doorway, holding a Squirtle.

"Excuse me?" she asked as she glanced around the store, "Is this the…..Sunflora Daycare Centre?"

The 3 girls slowly turned and looked back at one another, unsure of how to respond to the first new customer they'd seen in weeks.

"Umm…Yes it is!" Leaf announced as she leapt off the counter and walked over to the young girl, "How can I help you?"

The young girl turned and pointed out the window. "There's a bunch of people up the road raving about how great this place was and I thought maybe you could help my Squirtle out?"

More excited than ever, Leaf happily looked down at the small water pokemon. "Of course! What's wrong with him?" she asked as she quickly looked it over.

"His water attacks have been very weak lately and I've tried everything potion imaginable to get him back to how he used to be…..but nothing's worked."

Leaf bent down to the water pokemon's level to get a better look. "Hmm…." she pondered before snapping her fingers, "I think I have something that should do the trick! Lyra do we have any Passho berries left?"

"Yeah…." Lyra hollowly replied, still in shock from what was happening in front of her.

"Great! Don't you worry miss! I'll have your Squirtle fixed up in no time!" Leaf happily proclaimed as she took the pokemon from the girl and began walking towards the back of the daycare. "Come on Lyra! Help me get set up!"

Unsure of how to respond, Lyra quickly jumped to her feet. "Uhhh…r-right behind you Leaf!" she stammered as she quickly followed her friend.

Cynthia still didn't know what to make of all this and watched as Leaf gave her a confident wink as she passed by.

"Well I'll be…"

* * *

While the three girls were preoccupied with putting Leaf's plan into action, Red and Ethan had met up that morning and were slowly making their way towards the pokemon centre.

"So! This chick goes to me and she's like: Ethan! I think it's time we take off the training wheels!" Red's yellow capped assistant enthusiastically explained as they walked the streets of Saffron, "….and I was like: Woah! Babe! Slow down! That's a little too wild for me! And she was like: Come on! All the cool kids are doing it!"

"…..and…." Red dully wondered as he glanced over at his friend, "….what happened next?"

Embarrassed, Ethan shyly looked away. "…..my mom…..took off my training wheels and I learned how to ride my bike like the rest of the kids…." he finally admitted.

Red stared at his friend, not knowing how to respond. "Wow….that was…..fascinating Ethan!" he stated, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing. "Though I must ask; who calls their mom _**babe**_?"

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO ADD DRAMATIC TENSION RED!"

" _Dramatic…..tension?! Sure Ethan whatever you say….._ " Red sarcastically thought to himself before yawning out loud.

"Tired?"

Red rubbed his eyes and slowly nodded in response. "Yeah….it was hard to wake up this morning…." he mumbled as he stretched out, "See….this is why I shouldn't take days off…."

Upon hearing that, Ethan slyly glanced over at his friend and asked the question he had been curious about all night. "So…what were you doing yesterday that made you freak out when I called you?"

Red's eyes shot open as wide as they could. "N-nothing!" he stammered, vividly remembering yesterday's events.

"Oh really?" Ethan shrewdly responded before pointing to his ear, "My ringing ear begs to differ!"

"R-really! You just caught me off guard yesterday!" Red embarrassingly stated, trying his best to keep his composure, "J-just forget about it, okay!"

"Okay…." his yellow capped friend finally conceded. However, after walking a few steps Ethan turned to Red and muttered under his breath.

"It was something…naughty wasn't it?" he stated making Reds face go flush.

The two walked for a few more minutes and upon arriving at the pokemon centre, were stunned to see a giant line-up of people waiting to get in.

"Wow! It's really busy today!" Ethan stated as he saw the huge line.

Red stared the line as well but couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

As the two walked towards the crowd of people, a young man holding a Ratatta quickly ran up to them. "Hey! Do you guys work here?!" he asked in a panic.

"Yes we do!" Red reassured him, "What's going on here?"

"There's a group of people blocking the entrance to the pokemon centre!" The man explained pointing towards the front entrance, "What's worse is that my Rattata was poisoned this morning and it needs to get healed fast!"

Red didn't know what to make of what the man just told him and as he looked over at his yellow capped assistant, he could see that Ethan had the same confused look on his face as he did.

"Don't worry sir! We'll get this straightened out!" Red assured the man before starting to make his way through the crowd.

"What do you think's going on?" Ethan whispered to his friend and Red just shook his head.

"I don't know….."

The two quickly made their way to the front of the pokemon centre and sure enough, when they reached the front door their eyes were met with a group of people, swinging signs and chanting various statements.

" _What in the world….._ " Red wondered as he stared at the sight before him in bewilderment.

"Red….who are they?" Ethan whispered to him and upon closer inspection, Red saw that all the signs had the phrase " _ **Save the SFDC**_ " on them.

" _SFDC…._ " he pondered to himself and all too soon it hit him, " _The….Sunflora…Daycare…Centre!_ "

In no mood to deal with these people, Red closed his eyes and mumbled. "They're yours Ethan….sick em!"

Ethan shrugged, more than happy to oblige. "If you insist!" he stated before suddenly yelling at the top of his lungs, "ALRIGHT EVERYONE! UP AGAINST THE WALL!"

Stunned by the sudden outburst, all the protestors quickly shut their mouths as Ethan continued to yell at them. "NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL WANT HERE! BUT, I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE KILLED A LOT OF-"

"AAANNNDDDD THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!" Red quickly yelled out, covering his friend's mouth before he could say anything that would land him in jail.

"I apologize for my friend, but…..what are you all doing here?" Red asked as calmly as he could, knowing that he would have to find out eventually.

The protestors all looked at one another, unsure of who should speak up first. "We're here to save the Sunflora Daycare Centre!" one finally yelled out, causing the others to follow in suit.

"Oh…..is that so….." Red muttered as a young girl suddenly stepped towards him.

"Yeah! Ms. Leaf told us that stopping this mean pokemon centre was only way to save her daycare!" she explained, waving her arms as she did.

" _She did…..did she….._ "

Trying his best not completely explode with anger at the whole situation, Red forced the best smile he could and knelt down to the girl's level. "Sweetie…..can I…..ask you something?" he said as calmly as he could and pointed to the huge line of customers, "Do you….see all these people standing there?"

"Yes I do!" she happily replied.

"All their pokemon are sick and do you know what's going to happen if those pokemon don't get treated soon?"

All too soon, the girls smile faded from her face. "They'll…..get….sicker?" she hesitated to say as she looked at all the hurt pokemon.

"That's right!" Red acknowledged, patting her head as he did. "Now, I don't mind you protesting for something you love….but PLEASE…do it away from the door!"

Ethan watched as all the advocates guiltily looked at one another before finally moving aside from the pokemon centre's front door.

That said, Red unlocked the door and all the customers slowly began making their way inside. "Sorry about the wait everyone." he apologized, personally greeting every customer that came in.

As the line moved along, Red once again encountered the Rattata trainer who graciously bowed to him. "Bless you sir!" he said as quickly made his way inside to get his pokemon cared for.

Red nodded back before reverting his eyes back to the protestors who were now stationed beside the front door. " _I wonder how long THIS is going to go on for?_ " he thought as he made his way inside.

* * *

The day quickly passed by and for the first time in months, the Sunflora Daycare Centre was actually busy. Word of mouth had attracted people from all over Saffron and Leaf couldn't have been happier.

"I can't believe how well your plan's been working Leaf!" Lyra said as joined her two comrades at the front counter, "We've been getting so many customers!"

"I agree! We've been doing really good." Leaf acknowledged before narrowing her eyes, "…but I want more!"

"More…." Cynthia muttered to herself as she silently stood behind Leaf.

Lyra smirked as she curiously looked over at her friend. "What did you have in mind?"

A smile formed on Leafs face as she happily clasped her hands together. "I was thinking about doing a newspaper article! That would definitely attract more people!" she stated before turning to her blond haired friend, "Cynthia, as a former champion, you could arrange that for us right?"

"Yes….I could….bu-"

Cynthia didn't even get to finish what she was saying before Leaf interrupted her. "Great!" she stated as she quickly turned away and rubbed her chin, "But I need to think of a good tagline for it…..something….bold!"

"Hmph! Maybe you should channel your inner Blue for this!" Lyra slyly stated, poking Leaf's cheek as she did.

"I don't think I could be THAT harsh!" Leaf sarcastically replied as she continued to rub her temple in thought.

Just then, Lyra snapped her fingers as an idea popped in her head. "Hey! Why stop at the newspaper?!" she declared and excitedly grabbed Leaf's shoulder, "Let's do a TV spot!"

"Oooh! I like your thinking Lyra!" Leaf stated in approval before once again, turning back to her blond haired friend, "Cynthia! I'm sure you know some people who could handle that for us as well!"

"Yes I do…." Cynthia replied before desperately trying to get across the point she was trying to make earlier, "But…..Leaf! Nobody's going to want to do this for fre-"

*DING* the sound of the front door suddenly rang out, causing all 3 of them to look over.

"More customers!" Leaf happily stated as she stood up, "Cynthia, see what you can do about that TV spot!"

"Can I be in it with you?" Lyra added as she stood up as well.

Leaf rolled her eyes as she put her arm around her friend. "Lyra….you do realize that we're trying attract more customers, not scare them off!" she jokingly responded as they walked to the front.

Cynthia sighed as she watched her friend walk away. On one hand, she didn't want to say anything because this was the happiest she had seen Leaf in a long time. But, on the other hand, Leaf's ideas were getting way out of hand and despite getting more customers, the Sunflora Daycare Centre wasn't making anywhere near as much money to fund what she wanted to do.

" _Leaf….all these plans you have….they're just going to burn you out….._ "

* * *

Weeks had passed since Leaf had put her plan into action and for Red; it was the most painful few weeks he had ever had to endure. Every time he would come to work he would be hounded by the protestors standing by the front door and it was really starting to take a toll on him.

"What are you looking at?" Ethan asked his red-capped friend as he stared out a window that overlooked the front of the pokemon centre.

"Those…..protestors are still out there….." Red sighed as he watched them continue to relentlessly parade their signs around.

"I told you small businesses would be a nuisance." A familiar voice called out to him, echoing the words he said to Red before.

Upon turning around, Red's eyes were met with the spikey haired dragon master himself, who had came to the pokemon centre after hearing about all the commotion that was going on.

"It's not so much a nuisance as it is…..annoying…." Red frustratingly stated as he walked over to the desk where Lance and Ethan were sitting, "It's not like it's taken customers away from us."

Lance stared at his protégé and shook his head. "But it's clearly distressing you." he noted as he scanned the young trainer up and down, "Isn't it?"

"I'm just tired of people acting like I'm a bad person…." Red sighed as he placed a newspaper on the desk and slid it towards Lance, "Just look at today's headline!"

" _ **Local Daycare Heroine Aims to Take On Major Business Tyrant.**_ " Lance read out loud before lowering the paper and cocking an eyebrow. "Wow Red…..in all the year's we've known each other, I never thought I'd ever see the word **tyrant** be used to describe you!"

Red looked away. "I know and it's really starting to get to me!" he stated, gritting his teeth as he did, "All these things this…daycare centre's owner is saying about me….it's….it's not who I am!"

Lance looked down at the article once again. "Is this her?" he asked as he saw a black and white picture of a girl in front of a building.

Red walked over to Lance's side and scoffed. "Yeah….that's her….Leaf Green…." he reluctantly pointed out.

Lance rubbed his chin in thought. "Leaf Green…..huh…." he muttered as he continued to look at the picture, "I must admit….for a small business owner, her promotion tactics are quite…..fascinating wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah! And she's definitely not bad to look at either!" Ethan happily added as he looked at the picture as well, "I'd give in to her in a second!"

"Shut up Ethan!" Red grumbled as he glared at his assistant, "Whose side are you on anyway?!"

"Oh come on Red!" Ethan slyly replied, slapping his friend in the back, "Don't tell me you don't think so too?!"

Red rolled his eyes. "Oh don't get me wrong, she's beautiful…" he noted before trailing off, "…but, that's only going to get her so far in this situation!"

"So…what do you plan to do about her?" Lance inquired as Red sauntered back over to the window.

He stood in silence for a few seconds before finally muttering "….nothing…"

Lance raised his eyebrows. "Nothing?"

Red nodded; in his mind he knew that antagonizing Leaf would just help to further prove her point she was trying to make and he wasn't about to sink down to that level.

"Yes….it can't last forever…" he muttered once again.

* * *

A few blocks away, spirits were high at the Sunflora Daycare Centre as Leaf's plan had brought a lot of curious customers to the daycare. It had currently been two weeks since the campaign began and Cynthia had spent the entire day crunching numbers to see just how much of an improvement it made for them.

"Take Care! Thank you for your business!" Leaf thanked a young trainer before finally locking the door behind her, "….and that's the last customer for today!"

"I can't believe it Leaf!" Lyra happily stated as she began to clean up, "I think the daycare's seen more customers these past two weeks than it ever has before!"

"I know right!" Leaf excitedly replied before turning away and blushing, "Though…..I can't take all the credit for it."

Lyra smirked, knowing full well what she meant by that. "I know! I know! It was your mystery man that came up with the idea!" she clarified before slyly putting her arm around her friend and whispering in her ear. "Normally I'd say he deserves a reward for this…but I think you already gave him one."

Leaf's eyes immediately shot open. "LYRA!" she shouted and forcefully shoved her away.

Amused at her friend's embarrassment, Lyra playfully shoved her back and the two laughed at one another before resuming their end of day cleaning.

"Soooo….I was thinking….." Leaf pondered as she wiped down the front counter, "Depending on how well we're doing….maybe I'll hire more help!"

Lyra was in the process of sorting berries when she heard what Leaf said and immediately turned around. "REALLY?!" she shouted in excitement.

However, what happened next, Lyra would instantly regret as she, without thinking, blurted out "Hey! If that's the case, maybe you could hire that red-capped guy that came in here befo-" she immediately stopped upon realizing who she was talking about and when she looked over, saw that Leaf had a serious expression on her face, "S-sorry Leaf! I-I completely forgot that he's…"

"It's okay…." Leaf dully replied as she stared down at the counter she was cleaning, "Sometimes I forget too…."

The two stood in silence before Lyra finally spoke up. "Still….can you believe that I flirted with the owner of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre…." she jokingly stated, trying to make light of the situation, but Leaf's serious expression didn't fade.

"Well….you didn't know…."

Lyra sighed; perhaps it was because she wasn't at Blue's party that night and only met him the day he came to the daycare, but….Lyra just couldn't see Red in a different light like Leaf did. "I get that….but it still sucks you know…." she noted, causing Leaf to curiously look over at her, "I mean….you and him seemed to get along so well that day…I just can't see why-"

Lyra stopped as Leaf suddenly got up walked over to a nearby window, "Yeah…well that was before I knew who he really was…." she sighed as she stared out onto the streets of Saffron, "…..and while he may have looked like he cared back then…..he's nothing more than a corporate sell out Lyra!"

Frustration seemed grow with every word Leaf said as she slammed her fist against the window. "He doesn't care about us and surely doesn't care about how he treats other people's pokemon!"

Lyra didn't know what to say. Did Leaf really hate him that much….or was she just telling herself that to make competing against him easier?

Before she could respond, Cynthia suddenly emerged from the back and the two girls quickly dropped what they were talking about and excitedly ran over to hear what she would have to say.

"There she is! The woman of the hour!" Lyra happily stated as she ran up to the blond haired trainer.

Leaf followed in suit, unable to contain her excitement. They had seen so many customers over the past few weeks that the numbers had to look good. "So? How are we doing?" she asked.

Much to her surprise, Cynthia didn't respond and upon further observation, Leaf saw that her expression was completely blank.

"What? It's better than you expected!" Lyra jokingly announced but Cynthia just continued to stare forward with that blank expression on her face and shook her head.

"It's…it's not?" Leaf asked, becoming more worried with every second that passed, "W-what's it look like?"

Cynthia bit her lip. "It's….umm…." she really struggled to say what she was about to say, "….it's worse than before….."

No sooner did those words leave her mouth and a silence immediately fell over the daycare. All Cynthia could do was watch as shocked expressions formed on both of her friend's faces.

"Okay Cynthia! You got us! It was a good joke!" Lyra finally declared, slapping her on the back, "But seriously, how are doing?"

"This is no joke!" Cynthia sternly told her, "We're really worse off than before!"

"HOW?! You've seen all the customers we've had the past 2 weeks!" Lyra immediately argued back, "We've had more customers than ever before!"

Cynthia didn't say a word and just passed her a piece of paper showing their numbers.

Lyra quickly took the paper for herself and her eyes widened at what she saw. "T-this!" she gasped upon seeing the numbers before her, "This can't be!"

"I've tried to warn you both about how much this promotional stuff would cost and you never once listened to me! NEVER!" Cynthia yelled at the both of them before tears started welling in her eyes from how emotional she was becoming, "No matter how many customers we saw….there…..there was no way we could ever make that money back…."

The paper in Lyra's hand began to shake as realization began to hit her. "L-leaf….t-this….what are we going to do?!" she frightfully asked.

However, as soon as she turned around to speak with her brunette haired friend, Lyra's eyes were met with Leaf just standing there, still as a statue.

"Leaf?"

Leaf didn't know what to say, she just stood there, her body tingling from the shock of this revelation. All that hard work she had done these past weeks, all the new customers she had brought in….it was all meaningless. How could she have been so stupid and never considered the cost of what she was doing?

"How….." Leaf finally spoke up, grasping her head in her hands as she tried to speak, "How did I…...I did everything I could….."

*RINNNGGGG* the sound of the phone suddenly rang out and the three girls stared at it as it rang over and over again.

"H-hello?" Leaf hollowly greeted as she finally picked it up.

Cynthia and Lyra watched as Leaf's face grew even paler with every word that was said. "Uh-huh….uh-huh….o-okay…..n-no I understand…..thank you for all your help….."

"Who was that?" Cynthia asked as Leaf hung up the phone.

Leaf's voice shook as she tried to explain what happened. "That….was one of customers…." she struggled to say, "I…guess they've been getting a lot of complaints from customers at the pokemon centre and are stopping their protest….."

"S-so….where does that leave us?" Lyra wondered as Leaf sat down in a nearby chair and buried her face in her palms.

"I…..I….don't know…."

Seeing just how hard her friend was taking this, Cynthia couldn't be mad at her anymore. "Leaf….you don't need to bear this burden by yourself." she said as she placed her hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Truthfully….we're all to blam-"

Without warning, Leaf slapped her hand away. "No Cynthia! You're not to blame and neither is Lyra or my mystery man!" she stated before grabbing her head again, "It was me! I….I got too carried away….it's all my fault…."

"Leaf…"

"I-it's fine! I….I just need to think of another idea! A…a better idea!" Leaf declared as she got up out of her chair and began to frantically pace around. "I…I j-just need more time!"

Without warning, Leaf suddenly grabbed onto Cynthia's shirt and began pleading to her. "PLEASE! Give me more time!" she yelled out of desperation.

Taken aback at Leaf's tone, Cynthia grabbed her shoulders. "Leaf calm down! Please!" she pleaded as she stared into her eyes, "…it's going to be okay…."

Cynthia watched as Leaf's breathing returned to normal before continuing. "Look….I will….cover the cost of what we lost these past few weeks." she stated and Leaf's eyes widened at that suggestion.

"But Cynth-"

Leaf stopped as Cynthia defiantly raised her hand. "I will cover the cost….but this is the only time I'll do that." she clarified to her, "I can't afford to keep bailing the daycare out like this."

Though reluctant to do so, Leaf nodded in agreement. "Thank you…" she said and Cynthia nodded to her as well.

"It's okay…" she reassured Leaf before placing a hand on her shoulder, "Why don't, you go home and get some rest? Lyra and I will close up tonight."

Knowing they wouldn't take no for an answer, Leaf agreed. "Okay… I will….and this time I promise! I PROMISE! I'll come up with a better idea!" she declared as she gathered her things.

"…..I know you will." Cynthia whispered as she walked out the door.

The two waited until Leaf was out of sight before Lyra finally spoke up. "I can't believe you're covering all that promotion cost…..thank you Cynthia." she said, turning to her blond haired friend.

"I…..I had to...for her sake…." Cynthia stammered as she thought about what just occurred, "You saw just how close to breaking she was….."

Lyra sighed, knowing exactly what she meant. "D-do you think there's any way she can turn it around?" she asked out of curiosity, "….or is the daycare too far gone to save?"

"I don't know…." Cynthia sadly replied as she stared out the window, "In the end….there's only one person who can decide that….."

* * *

It was late that night when Red finally returned home. Earlier that day, Yellow had scored an interview with the leader of a big pokemon activist group and he decided to take her out to celebrate.

"Umm….thank you for a wonderful evening Red." Yellow nervously said as she and Red walked up to his house, "You really surprised me."

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your big interview today!" Red chuckled as he began to unlock his door, "I know you've been trying to get this one for a while, right?"

Yellow happily nodded. "Y-yes! It was with the leader of the Plasma Organization, the biggest pokemon activist group in the world a-and it was even televised!"

"Well I'm happy for you." Red said as he finally unlocked the door and motioned inside, "You wanna come in for a bit?"

"Sure!" Yellow said as she walked into the house, "Oh Red! It was great! Mr. N was so nice to me!"

"Oh….that's great Yellow…." Red sighed as he walked in as well, hoping that she wouldn't talk about it all night long.

With nothing else to do for the rest of the night, the two decided to sit down and watch some TV.

"Umm….Red?" Yellow asked as he flipped through the channels, "Do you mind if we watch the news?"

"The news?" Red confusingly replied, "Wouldn't you rather watch something…..happier? Like a movie?"

Yellow nervously scratched the back of her head, "Y-yes…but as a reporter I need to keep up to date with what's happening in the world!" she declared, raising her finger as she did.

" _By….watching other reporters?_ "

Reluctantly, Red turned on the news and sighed as he began to watch what was onscreen. As time passed, Red quickly grew bored and fell asleep on the couch while Yellow continued to watch what was happening with great interest.

Before long, a story came up that really peaked Yellow's interest.

"For generations the Sunflora Daycare Centre has offered both trainers and pokemon the best care possible when it comes to healing." a news anchor reported from a street not too far away, "But, just a few months ago a bigger, more successful pokemon centre has opened and brought the daycare to the brink of permanent closure."

"Umm…Red?" Yellow said, poking his shoulder to get his attention, "I think you may want to see this."

Red blinked as he awoke from his slumber. "H-huh?" he mumbled as he turned his attention to the TV.

"With me today, I have the daycare's owner, who wishes to say a few words on its beha-"

"HI EVERYONE! I'M ON TV!" A girl with a white hat and pigtails suddenly declared, waving her hands as the camera panned over.

"LYRA!" A voice yelled out from behind her, "Get out of the shot!"

The girl frowned as she was forcefully dragged off screen. "Okay….fine! Why do you get to have all the fun?!" she pouted as a familiar looking brunette haired girl with a green tank top and red skirt took her place.

"L-look who it is Red!" Yellow pointed out and Red's eyes widened as he instantly recognized who it was.

" _AHHH!_ " he screamed in his head, " _Even when I'm at home, she's right there winking me in the face!_ "

Curious, Yellow rested her head on her hand. "I wonder what she's going to say?" she pondered as Red continued to fidget about.

"Oh….I wonder too…." he mumbled to himself as Leaf began to speak.

"Hello everyone, my name's Leaf Green and for those of you don't know me, I'm the owner of the Sunflora Daycare." she proudly introduced herself, "For generations my daycare has served Saffron greatly, offering the best care possible for both people and pokemon with our homemade medicine and techniques."

Red shifted in his seat as he watched her on screen. Despite all the hassle she had put him through the past few weeks, he oddly couldn't bring himself to look away.

"Unfortunately, due to a new pokemon centre opening in the area we've fallen under some hard times over the past few months and are now at risk of having to close our doors." she explained and paused before continuing, "...and while understand that I am just a simple daycare owner and that my words may fall on deaf ears, I want to say this: For every man, woman and child who's ever brought a pokemon through the doors of the Sunflora Daycare Centre; I ask you to please not forget about us! Don't let generations of pokemon care just….fade into obscurity….please..."

With that said, Leaf handed the microphone back over to the news anchor. "Thank you Ms. Green." she said as the camera focused on Leaf and her daycare.

Despite being reluctant to do so, Red listened to her entire speech wholeheartedly. He couldn't deny the sincerity of her words and even felt…touched by them. Now more captivated than ever, Red watched as the news anchor spoke up again.

"If I may ask Ms. Green, what's your opinion on this new pokemon centre?" she inquired, holding the microphone up to Leaf's face.

Red immediately perked up. " _W-what's she going to say about me?_ " he wondered as he saw a smirk form on Leaf's face.

"Well! Few people may know this, but I have met with Red, the pokemon centres owner and let me tell ya, he's got some bizarre ideals!" she sarcastically stated, making Red grit his teeth, "Something about evolution requiring sacrifi-"

"OKAY! That's enough of that!" Red shouted, changing the channel as fast as he could.

Yellow giggled at her boyfriend's outburst. "You…gotta admit, her persistence is quite...admirable!" she stated as Red rapidly flipped through the channels, "Even with all the odds stacked against her, she's still willing to fight back!"

Red rolled his eyes. "I don't think **admirable** is quite the word I'd use Yellow!" he scoffed as she began to rub her chin in thought.

"Maybe….once her daycare goes under I should offer her a job at the Kanto Times!" Yellow stated with glee, "We could use someone like her."

" _Why would a daycare owner want to become a reporter?_ " Red thought as Yellow nervously looked over at him.

"T-that is….if you don't get to her first." she noted and Red stared at her like she was the craziest person in the world, "Y-you can't deny that she would be a great worker."

Red shook his head, knowing how futile that idea would be. "Yellow….somehow I doubt she'd consider working for me after everything we've gone through!" he stated as he finally stopped channel surfing.

"….coming up next, our inside report on the Plasma Organization!"

"Hey! Isn't this your interview from today?" Red inquired as he heard what was announced.

"W-what?!" Yellow nervously replied as she heard what was announced as well.

Soon the report began and Red perked up as it did. "It is!" he stated, pointing at Yellow as she appeared onscreen, "See? There you are!"

Much to Red's surprise, Yellow was completely against the idea. "Uh…R-red…c-can we not w-watch this?" she stuttered, trying to grab the remote from him.

"Why not?"

"B-because! I-I…"

Red chuckled as he held the remote high above her head. "Yellow you should be happy, this is one of the few times I'd actually rather listen to you talk about your pokemon activist stuff over anything else!" he ensured her before raising his fist in the air, "Let's go! Preach it Pokemon Whisperer!"

Against Yellow's wishes, the two turned their attention to the TV where she was beginning to speak. "H-hello everyone! M-my name's Y-yellow and today I have with me Mr. Natural Harmonia Gropius, leader of the Plasma Organization." she nervously announced as she shook his hand, "Umm….Mr. Gropius thank you for c-coming today!"

Red watched as the camera panned over to a man with green hair. "It's okay and please call me N." he kindly replied as she fidgeted about, "Is….everything alright? You're looking a little nervous?"

"N-no…I-I mean yes!" Yellow stammered, trying to keep her composure, "I-it's just this is my first time doing a televised interview and….I-I don't want to screw it up."

Just then, the green haired man reached forward and grabbed her hand to calm her down. "Well if you want my opinion, I think you're doing a fantastic job." he praised her, leaning forward as he did, "Actually, I'm a huge fan of your material and may I just say that the beauty of your words do not match the beauty of what I see before me."

Red scratched his head as he tried to comprehend what he just watched. "Yellow….is it just me or is he…..hitting on you?" he finally asked.

"N-no! He's just complementing me!" she defiantly stated, waving her hands as she did; but Red wasn't buying it.

"Yellow….saying that you have nice shoes is complementing you." he sarcastically replied as he turned his attention back to what was happening on TV, "He's clearly hitting on you! He's even holding your hand!"

"I-it's n-nothing!"

Red raised his eyebrows. "Really? Cause from the looks of it you're blushing every time he says something to you."

"I-I am not!"

"You're blushing right now!" Red yelled at her.

"T-that's because you're embarrassing me!" Yellow yelled back at him. "J-just shut it off! Please!"

Not wanting things to get out of hand, Red quickly shut the TV off and for the next few minutes, the two awkwardly sat in silence.

"R-red…" Yellow finally spoke up, "A-are you…..angry with me?"

Red sighed and shook his head, "No…..no I'm not..." he reassured her before standing up and walking away.

"W-where are you going?"

"I just….need to go to the bathroom." he muttered as he walked down the hall.

Upon reaching the bathroom, Red stepped inside and sighed heavily. Right now he just needed to be alone to contemplate what he just saw and while he was upset, he knew that he couldn't dwell on it.

" _There's no use in being angry with her about this._ " Red thought as he stared into the mirror above his sink, " _After all….I'm no better…..am I?_ "

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf had made it back to her apartment and was currently bent over the sink in her bathroom. Ever since Cynthia revealed that her plan had done more harm than good to the daycare, the stress of it all had made her very nauseous and she threw up as soon as she got home. Right now, more than anything, she was scared. Scared of her daycare going out of business, scared of how Blue would chastise her if he ever found out what happened, scared of how Red might have been right all along and most of all, scared of…potentially losing everything she loved.

" _I don't understand…..how could I…..have failed like that….._ " Leaf thought as she wiped her mouth in embarrassment, " _I was getting more customers…..I thought….everything was going well….._ "

She then looked up at the mirror above her sink, only to see that she looked deathly ill. Her eyes were all puffy, her long brown bangs were drooped over her eyes and her face looked pale as a ghost.

" _Now….what am I supposed to do?_ "

Leaf took a few minutes to clean up and calm herself down before walking over to her computer room. Since putting her plan into action, Leaf had been very vocal in telling her mystery man how well everything was going and how grateful she was for his advice. But now….that all changed. She was going to have to explain to him that because of her overconfidence, everything fell through and Leaf's stomach churned inside-out as she turned on her PC.

"He's going to think I'm biggest idiot in the world…." she sighed as she connected to the internet. To make matters worse, as soon as Leaf opened her e-mail account she was greeted by her mystery man's most recent message. In it, he praised how well she was able to turn things around and expressed just how proud he was of her and it made Leaf sick.

" _Even after all the advice you gave me….I still managed to screw it up…._ " she thought as she reluctantly began typing her message to him.

It took Leaf over an hour to finally find the words she wanted to compose her message properly and even then, she wasn't completely satisfied. The main problem was that Leaf had no idea how to proceed now that her plan had failed. She desperately wanted to seek his advice on what her next step should be, but hesitated, knowing how things turned out last time.

" _If only there was a better way for him to explain his advice to me…._ "

Just then, an idea popped into Leaf's head. An idea that she had pondered asking for the past hour, but never truly considered it till now.

" _There's only one way I can think of…._ " she thought as she typed in the question that she truly wanted to ask. " _I-I can't believe I'm actually asking this..."_

Finally finished, Leaf's hand shook as she hovered her mouse over the send button. It didn't help that she was the one who shot this idea down the last time it was brought up and she wondered just how he would respond to it now.

" _W-why am I so worried about this?_ " Leaf nervously pondered as she stared at what she had written, " _After all….this is the only option I have left and…..the worst he could tell me is….no._ "

Her mind made up, Leaf hit the send button and watched as the PC confirmed it to be sent.

" _It's done..._ " Leaf sighed as she leaned back in her chair, " _I hate to ask this under these circumstances….but you're my only hope I have left…._ "

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Red's house, the awkwardness of the whole situation hadn't subsided and Yellow decided it would be best if she just went home.

"A-are you sure you're not mad at me Red?" she asked as she stood in the doorway.

"It's fine Yellow….don't worry about it."

Yellow looked away, even though Red consistently reassured her that everything was okay, his eyes said otherwise.

"O-okay….I'll talk to you later then…." she said as she waved goodbye.

"Yeah…I'll talk to you later…." he waved back and closed the door behind him.

Pikachu watched as Red just stood there, staring at the doorframe. His mind was such a mess right now and after all the hassle he had put up with the past few weeks, this was just the icing on the cake.

"I don't understand….where did I go wrong?" He mumbled to himself before turning around and walking straight to his computer room. He had so many things he wanted to get off his chest and he needed to talk to...someone.

As Red sat down in his chair and turned on his PC, he could help but find it ironic. A couple weeks ago he was the happy one giving his anonymous friend advice with her problems. But now it seemed like the roles had reversed. Thanks her business improving, she was the happy one and Red was the one with the problems.

" _I'm glad everything's going well for her._ " Red thought as he connected to the internet. After all, it was HIS advice that turned things around for her, " _I just...wish we could both be happy…._ "

With that, Red opened his e-mail account and saw that familiar prompt show up.

*You have 1 new message*

He smiled and opened it fully expecting to hear how great things were going in her life. However, nothing could prepare him for what he ended up reading instead.

 **FROM: LUCKYGIRL**

 **Hi….I want to start this message by assuring you that what I'm about to tell you is not your fault and please don't think that it is….**

 **So….all that stuff I've been telling you over the past few weeks; about how my business is doing a lot better and how we've been getting a lot more customers...well….I found out today…that…that's not the case.  
**

 **It was my fault! I got too carried away…ended up spending way too much on promotion…..didn't even consider that I didn't have enough money to pay it back and now…and now….things are worse than they were before!**

 **I just…..can't get over it, I'm such an idiot! All that advice you gave me and I go and waste it away like a moron!**

Red stared at what she had written with his mouth agape. "She…..failed?" he muttered in disbelief and even though she told him that it wasn't his fault, Red couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for what happened.

However, what made him even more curious was what was written after.

 **I know it's stupid of me to ask this of you, especially after I rejected you last time and I completely understand if you don't want to but…..would you…..still like to meet with me in person? Now that everything's fallen apart…..I just don't know what to do…and I could really use your help.**

Red's breathing intensified as he read her request. "She wants to meet…..now?" he gasped, reading the message again to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

It was so surreal, ever since she had rejected him; the thought of meeting with her hadn't even crossed his mind. But, given the circumstances, he could see why she would want to now and after everything that had happened to him tonight, Red was more ready than ever to meet with her.

With every muscle in his body wanting to move at once, Red eagerly typed his response back and while he knew that the focus would be helping her with her problem, there was a part of him that was positively bursting with excitement.

"I-I can't believe it!" he gleefully thought as he continued to type out his response. " _I'm...actually going to meet you!_ "

* * *

On the other side of the screen, Leaf hadn't moved an inch, desperately wanting to know how her mystery man would respond to what she said.

" _I should go to bed….he's probably not going to get back to me night…._ " she thought as she stared at the ground, " _But…I'm really not tired….._ "

Just then Leaf heard a *DING* sound come from her computer and she scrambled to see what it was. She quickly logged into her e-mail account and sure enough, there was that familiar prompt signalling that her mystery man had responded to her.

*You have 1 new message*

Before opening it, Leaf took a deep breath, "Just remember Leaf…the worst he can say is no…." she reassured herself as she opened the message. "But…..god I hope he doesn't!"

 **FROM: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good Evening My Friend,**

 **Words cannot describe how sorry I am for what happened and even though you may not want me to think that it was my fault…..I still can't help but feel that my vague advice definitely contributed to what happened…and I'm really sorry.**

 **Before I continue, I want you know something; you're not an idiot, or moron or anything like that. We all make mistakes and while this mistake might be a bit bigger than most, it happens to us all, you're not the only one.  
**

 **Look, I know what you really want to hear from me and I'm not going to waste any more time; of course I want to meet with you! Heck! I've wanted to meet with you for so long and I'm soooo exicted, you have no idea! So, you just let me know the place and time and I'll be there!**

 **And please...try not to worry. We're going to figure this out…..together, I promise!**

 **Until then, I'll be thinking about you, sleep well :)**

Leaf could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she finished reading the message. She was so thankful that, despite being rejected before, he was still willing to meet with her.

"Thank you….oh thank you..." she whispered, placing her hand on her heart, "I can't wait to meet you too!"

As Leaf eagerly typed back the coordinates of where they would meet and Red waited in anticipation for them to arrive, an excited thought crossed both of their minds. Even though it took the worst of circumstances for it to happen, it was happening….it was finally happening.

They were finally going to meet one another.

* * *

 **Hello Everyone Bass here,**

 **Alright, I want to start by apologizing for the long wait for this chapter (I know! We're starting this again! It's my old story all over again!) But I really do. This freaking chapter gave me massive writers block and for the longest time (lol) I didn't know how I wanted to write it. That and I was sick one week, did some traveling another and was overall really busy. That being said, I want you guys to know that, now that chapter 6 is done, it's all up from here! I'm really excited to write chapter 7 (I…might have started it already) and I'm pretty sure you can see why ;)**

 **Also, before I go I just want to give some shout outs to some people.**

 **The3vilFighter** **: All I can say is thank you. You may not have realized it, but you really did motivate me to just buck up and finish this.**

 **Sarah Kay Writer** **: I don't have to say, you know why I'm plugging you right now. You're awesome and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me and if you want to read another great RedXLeaf story check out her story** **In This Moment** **(See I got it right this time!)….that is…whenever she finally decides to update it ;p**

 **Also to all my readers and reviewers, thank you so much. Your input means a lot to me and I'm sorry I made you guys wait. Hopefully next time won't be as long.**

 **Until then, ciao!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Person I Love is Who?

Chapter 7: The Person I Love is Who?!

With plans now firmly set in stone, neither Red nor Leaf could sleep a wink that night. Just the thought of them finally getting to meet one another made them excited beyond belief and when the morning sun finally did peak over the horizon, Leaf was already wide awake, anxious to tell her friends at the daycare about her plans for that night.

"I can't believe it! Today's the day!" she happily exclaimed as she danced around her apartment.

Despite, getting up early, Leaf was still hadn't changed out of her pajamas. Her mind was so preoccupied with what possibilities tonight could bring, that she couldn't focus on anything else. Unfortunately, she was so overtaken with excitement, that a quick glance over at her clock was all it took for Leaf to realize just how much time had passed since getting up.

"Oh my gosh! I'm going to be late!" she screamed as she struggled to put her clothes on and bolted down streets of Saffron in an attempt to make it to the daycare on time.

* * *

When she finally did arrive and told her friends about what was happening, the ensuing reaction she received was pretty much what she expected.

"NO WAY!" Lyra squealed with excitement before Leaf could even finish telling her the news, "You're actually going to meet your mystery man?!"

Leaf was positively beaming with happiness as she continued to tell Lyra her plans. "Yeah! We agreed to meet tonight!"

"WHAT?!" her pigtailed friend screamed as she grabbed both of Leaf's shoulders and began bouncing up and down, "You're going on a date with him TONIGHT?!"

The mere mention of that word caused Leaf's face to turn flush. "I-IT'S NOT A DATE!" she sternly declared, covering her friend's mouth as she did, "W-we're only meeting to discuss how to save the daycare!"

A couple feet away, Cynthia shook her head as she happily watched the two girls struggle with one another. "So….where are you meeting him?" she asked as she sat down in a nearby chair.

"I….suggested we go to the Dubonney Café!" Leaf hastily replied as Lyra finally managed to wrestle her hand away.

"Ooohhh! Fancy!" Lyra slyly remarked before cheekily adding, "Perfect setting for a da-"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU LYRA?! IT'S NOT A DATE!" Leaf yelled as she, once again covered Lyra's mouth and turned to her blond haired friend, "You understand, don't you Cynthia?"

Amused at how flustered Leaf was getting, a smirk formed on Cynthia's face. "I don't know….going to a fancy café with a guy you like…" she mulled before turning to her friend and winking, "…sounds like a date if you ask me!"

"C-CYNTHIA!" Leaf stammered, her face now growing even redder by the second, "May I remind you both that I HAVE a boyfriend!"

"Uh-huh….deny it all you want Leaf!" Lyra scoffed as she playfully poked her friend's forehead, "But...your face tells a different story!"

Leaf was completely beside herself and her eyes began rapidly darting from side to side as she desperately tried to explain her situation. "L-look! What if he's nothing like I think he is?!" she stated, but Lyra simply shook her head in response.

"Leaf…I think the bigger question is: what are you going to do if he **IS** everything you've imagined?!" she immediately shot back causing Leaf to nervously fidget about.

"N-nothing!"

"…..nothing?" Lyra replied, unconvinced of her friend's response.

"YES! NOTHING!" Leaf embarrassingly clarified, "I told you! I'm just getting advice from him!"

Lyra sighed with content, she was getting Leaf all riled up and she loved every second of it. "Well if that's the case...I maybe I should go to this café and meet him instead of you!" she stated causing her friend's eyes to widened in shock.

"W-what are you talking about?!" Leaf stammered as Lyra leaned towards her ear.

"It would be a shame for your mystery man to meet the girl of his dreams…..only to find out she just wants advice from him…." she cunningly whispered, "Just think...he wouldn't be any the wiser if I showed up instead of you."

That statement barely left Lyra's mouth before Leaf turned and shot her the iciest glare. "Y-YOU! YOU WOULDN'T DAR-" she attempted to yell before Lyra suddenly threw her arm around her and cut her off.

"Soooo…..what are you wearing tonight?" she slyly asked, causing Leaf to roll her eyes.

"Clothes you idiot!"

A huge smirk formed on Lyra's face. "Oh come on Leaf! For a special occasion like this you need to wear something MORE than just clothes!" she teased before turning to their blond haired friend, "Don't you agree Cynthia?"

"Indeed!" Cynthia quickly responded as she sat there with her eyes closed in thought, "In my opinion, fancy-yet-casual would be your best bet for tonight Leaf."

Leaf couldn't believe what she was hearing. "C-cynthia! You too?!" she exclaimed, shocked that the elderly trainer would be in favor of such an idea.

A sly grin formed on Cynthia's face as she continued to sit there with her eyes closed, "Come on Leaf, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how happy you get every time you talk about your mystery man." she stated as she got up from her seat and walked over to the two girls, "…and if he can indeed help save this daycare, then I'm all for helping you make this night the best it can be!"

"OH! I GOT AN IDEA!" Lyra suddenly declared, "How about we close up early today and go shopping for a new outfit?!"

Leaf stared at her friend in disbelief. "Lyra we can't do that!" she hastily replied, "W-what about any potential customers?"

Lyra rolled her eyes knowing how dumb of excuse that was. "Oh right….the huge impending rush that will be coming in later…." she sarcastically replied as she turned to Cynthia to see what she thought, "Cynthia! Are you up for it?!"

The elderly trainer nodded in agreement. "I'm definitely not opposed to the idea!" she nonchalantly replied.

With that, Lyra turned back to her brunette haired friend and issued an ultimatum. "Well Leaf it's on you…. what's more important to you right now?" she inquired as Leaf nervously lowered her head and stared down at her feet, "Making yourself look nice for a guy whom you've not only liked for the past year, but may also help save the daycare….or waiting for potential customers that you know aren't coming?"

Leaf's entire body shook as she let those words sink in. Why was she being so defiant right now? This was the moment she had been waiting for ever since they first began talking to one another. Finally, she was going to meet the man whom she talked to every night, the man who was there for her even in her darkest times, the man whom she….loved more than anything.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became and before long, Leaf just couldn't hold it in any longer. "OHHHHHHH! OKAY YOU TWO TALKED ME INTO IT!" she shouted at the top of her lungs before enthusiastically jumping on top of one of the counters and raising her fist in the air, "LET'S DO THIS! LET'S MAKE THIS THE BEST NIGHT EVER!"

"Ha-HA! Now that's the Leaf Green I know and love!" Lyra cheered as she jumped on the counter alongside her. "I'm going to have you looking your best tonight!"

Upon hearing that, Leaf turned to her friend and narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Remember Lyra, this is a professional meeting!" she sternly reminded her friend, "So nothing too wild alright!"

"W-whatever are you talking about?"

"What am I tal-" Leaf stopped as she recalled the last time her and Lyra went dress shopping, "Lyra! Do I have remind you of that puffy sleeved dress you picked out for me on my first date with Blue?!"

"You mean the only date you've ever had in your life?!" Lyra immediately fired back, "God Leaf! You're like an ice cream shop that only sells one flavor!"

Intent on making Leaf explore outside her comfort zone, Lyra leaned forward and slyly whispered in her ear. "Come on...this is a special night! You can't be afraid to show a little skin!"

Leaf's face turned bright red. "A-a little WHAT?!" she yelled before turning to her friend and giving her a slight shove, "Lyra! Do you like your job? Cause you might not have one after tonight!"

"Oh? Is that supposed to be a shot against me?" Lyra demanded as Leaf cockily flipped her hair and responded back with.

"No sweetie….that's a threat against you, actually!"

The two continued to bicker back and forth and Cynthia just stood there, giggling as she watched them go at it. "Those two never fail to entertain me….." she sighed with content.

* * *

Fueled by their excitement, the day quickly passed by for both Red and Leaf and as day slowly turned to evening, the time for their inevitable meeting rapidly drew near.

"Alright, let me get this straight Red." Ethan clarified as he and Red walked down the streets of Saffron together, "You're going to meet with a chick that you have no idea what her name is or what she looks like?"

"That's right." Red quickly replied, trying his best to enlighten Ethan on the situation, "I….met her online almost a year ago."

"Online...where?"

Red's eyes nervously shifted from side to side as he recalled the first time he met his anonymous friend, "W-well….before I began running the pokemon centre, I used go online and give advice to people whose pokemon had various illnesses." he explained to his yellow-capped friend, "One day, I responded to a post from a girl requesting help curing a rare disease known as pokémonitis and after giving her advice, she was so appreciative that we…..started talking to each other."

"I see…." Ethan stated as Red continued his story.

"I-it started small, just talking about what we thought about various pokemon. But, overtime the talks became more….personal…..and now…." Red paused as he took a moment to reflect on his current situation, "…now I'm going to meet her to help her with a problem she's been having…"

Ethan stared at his friend in shock. "I can't believe this! How come you never told me about her?" he asked, more curious than ever.

"Because I knew you wouldn't stop hounding me about her if I did!" Red embarrassingly replied, turning away in the process. "T-this….this is a meeting….I never thought would actually happen."

"Hey! I'm excited for you Red!" Ethan declared, slapping his friend on back, "This like something out of some big romance movie!"

Red's eyes shot open. "R-romance!" he stammered before turning and grabbing his friend's shoulders, "Look Ethan! You have to promise me that no matter what happens tonight, it strictly stays between you and me, okay?!"

A sly smirk formed on Ethan's face as he listened to his friend's request. "What are you talking about Red?" he nonchalantly replied, "We're just having guys night out!"

Having heard that, Red breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks…." he muttered, grateful for how supportive his yellow-capped friend was being though all this.

As the two resumed their walk to the café, Ethan turned to Red and finally asked the question he had been wondering for the entire night. "Red….if you don't mind me asking….why did you ask me to tag along with you in the first place?!" he wondered causing to Red look down at his feet.

"I….just….need you here…" he shyly admitted, "For…emotional support…"

"Emotional support?" Ethan confusingly replied, "What are you all nervous about?"

Embarrassed, Red looked away and nervously scratched the back of his head. "W-well…it's like you said; I've never seen what this girl looks like…and…." he paused, trying to think of the best way to explain his fear, "W-well…do you remember the big story that was on the news the other day?

Ethan rubbed his chin in thought, trying to recall what Red was talking about. "You mean the one about the guy who went to meet a girl online and she turned out to be a Kadabr-" all too soon a huge grin formed on Ethan's face as he quickly pieced it all together, "Don't tell me you think she's a pokemon Red?!"

No sooner did Ethan say that and Red broke out in a cold sweat. Just the mere mention of that possibility made him nervous beyond comprehension. "W-well….I won't deny that the….thought's definitely crossed my mind!" he stated causing Ethan to laugh so hard he almost fell over.

"Oh Red! You know that would be the best outcome for you!" he joked, unable to keep his composure, "She could be both your lover and your main at the battle square!"

Red narrowed his eyes as he watched his friend continue to laugh hysterically at him. "You know….I'm beginning to wonder…" he muttered as he began to walk away, "Why DID I choose to bring you along…."

Finally regaining his composure, Ethan quickly ran after his friend. "Oh come on Red, just how important is this girl to you?!" he wondered as he finally caught up to him, "I thought all you were doing was helping her with a problem?"

"Ethan…she's…..she's very special to me…."

"Special?" Ethan muttered in disbelief, "Just how special are we talking about?" he asked, but nothing could prepare him for what Red would say next.

"I might consider turning my life upside down and marrying her!" he boldly proclaimed, "That's how special she is to me!"

With that, Red looked down at his feet as Ethan stared at him, unsure of how to react to what he was just told. "Wow….that's…..p-pretty special Red." he stammered, surprised at just how serious his boss actually taking this.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leaf had already arrived at the café and was embarrassingly shifting in her seat as she waited for her mystery man to arrive. Much to her dismay, Leaf's shopping escapades from earlier had resulted in her wearing a backless, low cut black dress to the café and it really made her feel really uncomfortable.

" _O-oh! This is the last time I ever let Lyra pick an outfit for me!_ " she thought as she embarrassingly stared down at herself, " _This dress is way to revealing!_ "

She then turned her attention to a pink doll that was sitting on the table in front of her and began to nervously shift it around. " _No! He'll see it better if I move it over here!_ " Leaf thought as she moved it to the other side of the table and sighed.

"Excuse me miss?" A voice suddenly called out, snapping her out of her thoughts, "May I get you another drink?"

Surprised, Leaf quickly looked up to see a waiter standing next to her. "Oh yes please!" she replied, handing her glass cup to him.

Leaf watched as the waiter took a second to glance down at her as he took her cup. "May I just say you look very nice tonight." he said as he filled it back up.

Leaf's eyes shot open, instinctively looking down at herself as she did. "O-oh thank you…" she stammered, forcing the best smile she could, "I'm meeting someone special tonight!"

"I see….." the waiter happily replied as he placed her glass on the table. "Well I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight!"

Leaf quickly thanked him and waited until he was out of sight before dropping her forced smile. " _That's it! Lyra's so dead when I see her tomorrow!_ " she embarrassingly thought as she continued to stare towards the front door, "… _I hope he comes soon….._ "

* * *

Back outside, Red and Ethan had finally arrived at their destination and were currently standing in front of the café, discussing Red's next plan of action.

"Well, here we are Red! The Dubonney!" Ethan stated as he slapped his friend on the back, "Are you excited?!"

Red gulped hard as he looked up at the café. He couldn't believe that within its walls awaited the anonymous girl he had met online. The same girl he loved talking too every day; she was actually in there, waiting for him.

"Ethan…I'm…." Red stuttered as he tried to find his words, "I'm so nervous, you have no idea….."

Ethan couldn't believe his eyes. Running the pokemon centre had made Red pretty tense in the past, but never anything like this before. "Hey….I'd be worried too if I was meeting a girl I'd never seen before." he joked as he put his arm around his friend, "So…..do you got a plan for when you meet her?"

Much to Ethan's surprise, Red actually did. "Okay! I'm going to go in there, have a drink, discuss her problem and then get out of there!" he hastily explained, slamming his hand with ever point he made, "15 minutes tops, I swear!"

"15 minutes…." Ethan dully replied, before nudging his friend in the side, "…and if you take longer than that should I start planning out the wedding?"

"ETHAN!"

"Hey! I'm just asking Red!" Ethan clarified, frantically waving his hands in front of his face as he did, "More importantly….how are you going to know it's her?"

Red crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he recalled their plan to recognize each other, "She….she told me she'd bring her Clefairy doll and put it on the table….."

No sooner did those words leave Red's mouth and Ethan burst out laughing. "A…Clefairy doll?!" he stated as he slapped his head, "How much more cliché can you get?!"

"S-shut up!" Red stammered and punched his friend in the shoulder, "We tried to think of something that only we would recognize!"

"Alright! Alright! I get it Red!" Ethan replied and seeing just how embarrassed his friend was getting, took the opportunity to push him towards the door, "Well come on Romeo! Get going!"

Caught a bit off guard, Red slowly nodded before turning his attention to the only thing that stood between him and the girl that meant so much to him.

However, as Red placed his hand on the doorknob to the café, his nerves began to get the better of him. Suddenly his stomach began churning inside-out as the thought of what could potentially happen began to encompass his mind and all too soon he let go of the doorknob and ran back over to Ethan in a panic. "Ah! Can you go look for me?" Red pleaded to him.

"What?" Ethan asked, confused by his friend's sudden request.

Red rolled his eyes, completely beside himself. "J-just go over to that window and see what she looks like for me!" he stammered, pointing towards one of the café's huge bay windows.

Ethan glanced over at the window in question and dully shook his head. "Wow…you're really that worried about this girl being a pokemon aren't you Red…." he teased, but seeing Red's worried expression made him finally concede, "…okay…give me a minute…."

With that, Ethan walked over to the huge bay window and Red watched with anticipation as he curiously peered through it.

Upon looking inside, Ethan noticed that the café had quite the fancy interior and many of the tables were filled with customers happily talking to on another "Ooohhh! There are some fine ladies in here!" he gleefully announced as he continued to look around the café.

"R-really?"

"Yeah….." Ethan noted before glancing over at his friend and adding, "….but none with a Clefairy doll."

Red grasped his head in frustration. This whole ordeal was driving him crazy and he was beginnning to wonder if she had even showed up at all.

That was until….

"Wait a minute! I do see a Clefairy doll!" Ethan suddenly declared causing Red to immediately snap to his attention.

"AND?! WHAT'S SHE LOOK LIKE?!" he demanded, but Ethan waved his hand in response.

"I don't know Red! There's a waiter in the way!"

"AHHH!" Red yelled as he grasped his head again, "THIS IS SO AGONIZING!"

However, Red's agony was cut short as Ethan raised his hand once again. "Hold on! Hold on! He's moving! Here we go! She's…."

Ethan eagerly watched as the waiter slowly moved out of the way and what he saw nearly caused to him to fall over in shock. Sitting there was girl with long brunette hair; a girl whom his boss knew...all too well.

"Well…..that's…interesting….." he muttered to himself as he continued to stare at her wide eyed.

"SO?!" Red yelled out, unable to wait any longer.

Ethan swallowed hard, trying to think of the best way to break the news to his friend. "She's…she's…" he repeated over and over again, unsure of how to even begin, "Well she's not a pokemon Red! So you don't have to worry about that….."

Red breathed a huge sigh of relief. "YES! THANK GOD!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, "What's she look like Ethan?"

Ethan bit his lip as he glanced back and forth between Red and the brunette haired girl he saw in the window. "S-she's…umm….." he gulped hard before continuing, "R-red…she's very pretty…."

"REALLY!" he happily exclaimed as he began to dance around in excitement, "OH MY GOD! THIS IS AMAZING! TELL ME MORE!"

Ethan sighed as he watched Red dance around. "Oh boy…how do I explain this to you…." he wondered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he did. "She's...uhh.…..y-you know who she kinda reminds me of?!"

"Who?" Red wondered as Ethan quickly spoke up again.

"R-remember a couple of days ago you told me you thought that Leaf Green girl was attractive?"

"Yeah…." Red dully replied, unsure where Ethan was going with this line of questioning, "So….are you trying to tell me she's a brunette?"

Ethan rolled his eyes back and forth at the truthfulness of that statement. "Y-yes! B-but can we get back to Leaf Green for a seco-"

Unable to wait any longer, Red suddenly grabbed his friend's shoulders and cut him off. "Ethan I don't care about Leaf Green! Just tell me what she looks like!" he demanded and Ethan quickly turned away to avert his gaze.

"W-well you'd better start caring!" he stammered causing a serious expression to form on Red's face.

"…why?!"

"B-because….."

Red narrowed his eyes. "Because why?!"

"Because….." Ethan sighed as looked up at his friend and finally revealed, "...that's who it is Red….."

In that moment, Red felt every muscle in body tense up. Questions quickly began to flood his mind, one after another and despite wanting to bombard Ethan with every single one of them, nothing would come out of his mouth. Instead he just found himself staring blankly at his yellow-capped assistant as his breathing intensified with every breath he took.

"Red…are you oka-"

Without warning Red suddenly shoved Ethan aside and bolted over to the window. Right now, there was only one question that mattered to him and he had to see it for himself…..he needed to know if it was true.

" _This has to be a joke!_ " he stressfully thought to himself, " _There's no way it can be her….it can't be!_ "

As fast as he could, Red ran up to the bay window and peered inside. His heart raced a mile a minute as his eyes rapidly scanned the café looking for any sign of that Clefairy doll.

It only took him a few seconds before he spotted the table the pink doll was perched on and sure enough, sitting behind it was none other than the owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre herself: Leaf Green.

"Oh my god….." he muttered as he stared at the girl in the black dress before him, "It….really….is….her…."

As much as Red didn't want to believe it, the more he stared at her, the more he began to piece it all together. " _Of course…..it all makes sense now…."_ he pondered as he thought about all the things that described his anonymous friend, " _A girl who loves pokemon and has been having financial trouble with her business….."_

His mind then began to drift back to the previous talks he had with her recently. " _That would explain why she's been so happy lately. It's because of that ridiculous campaign she had against me….._ " he thought to himself before coming to a harsh realization, " _A campaign that happened because of advice that….I gave to her….._ "

The more Red thought about it, the angrier he became. Every message he had ever composed to this girl was sent because he genuinely cared about her more than anything and to find out that his kindness was used against him like that….hurt him in ways he could never describe. He felt used and all too soon, his mind was flooded with all the hurtful things Leaf had said and done to him over the past few weeks.

" _Why..."_ Red thought before finally declaring, _"Why should I bother meeting someone who clearly doesn't care about me!_ " _  
_

Upset, he quickly turned around and Ethan watched as he began walking towards him. "W-where are you going?" he asked as Red walked right past him with a serious expression on his face.

"Home….." he sternly replied, tipping his hat over his eyes as he did.

Ethan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Wha-you're going to leave her here?!" he exclaimed as he watched his friend walk away, "Red you can't do that!"

"Watch me…."

Ethan sighed, despite all that had happened between these two in the past, his boss was better than this and he knew it. "Red…didn't you just finish telling me how special this girl was to you?" he called out, causing his friend come to a complete stop, "…how she meant more to you than anything in the world?"

Red took a minute to let those words sink in before responding with. "….opinions…..change….."

Ethan shook his head; even he could tell how hard it was for his friend to say that. "Red….come on man….whether you want to admit it or not….that's who she is." he explained as put his arm around Red and brought him back over to the window, "I mean….just look at her…she looks so sad."

Red couldn't deny Ethan's words; Leaf was currently sitting there with her head resting softly atop her hand, staring longingly at the café's front entrance. She was waiting; waiting for the person who would meet her tonight, waiting for…..him.

Overcome with guilt, Red paused to look down at his watch. "Well...technically I am late for our meeting..." he finally spoke up.

Ethan nodded in response. "So...what are you going to do?" he asked as Red continued to stare at the girl before him.

It only took a few minutes of deliberation before Red finally made his decision. He couldn't deny that he truly loved the girl that he talked to online every day and if this daycare owner was indeed her; despite all the hassle that she had put him through since they had known one another…..that was just something he would have to accept.

With his mind made up, Red slowly walked over to café's front door, took a breath and closed his eyes. "Damn conscious of me…" he reluctantly muttered as he hastily grabbed the doorknob.

Ethan shook his head as he watched his friend slowly open the door. "Good luck…." he muttered as Red marched straight inside.

* * *

No sooner did Red enter the cafe and the sound of smooth jazz started to envelop his ears. It was definitely a sight to behold and Red found himself curiously looking around at all the well-dressed people who were happily chatting with one another.

" _Wow…this place definitely isn't my scene…._ " he thought as he walked over to the café's front counter.

"Good Evening Sir and welcome to the Dubonney!" A waiter at the front counter greeted him, "How can help you?"

Red nervously scratched the back of his head as he thought about the real reason why he was truly there. "I'm….uhh….meeting someone tonight." he nervously explained, causing the waiter to nod in assurance.

"I see." he politely replied before pointing to the huge menu behind him, "Would you care for a drink?"

"A drink?" Red clarified as he looked up at the menu, " _Oh…it might take a few drinks to make it through tonight….._ " he sarcastically joked to himself.

Red quickly scanned over the menu and saw that there were many different types of drinks to choose from, none of which he had ever seen before.

" _Cherioccino? Pechaspresso? What kind of drinks are these?_ "

As he continued to muddle over which drink to get, Red's mind drifted back to something that Leaf had told him when they made the arrangements for tonight.

" _ **Don't worry about not knowing any of the drinks sweetie! When we meet, I'll help pick out the perfect one for you!**_ "

" _I guess that's not happening anymore…_ " Red dully thought to himself before finally picking out a drink with the coolest name, "Umm….I'll take one of those please." he said, pointing to a drink titled Occaian Blend #102.

"Excellent choice sir!" the waiter stated and motioned to the area where everyone was sitting, "Feel free to have a seat and it'll be ready in a few minutes!"

"Thank you!" Red replied as he glanced over at the table with the pink Clefairy doll on it.

However, much to his surprise, despite the Clefairy doll being there, Leaf was nowhere to be seen. " _Hey! Where's did she go?!"_ Red wondered as he frantically looked around, trying to find her. " _Don't tell me she went the restroom._ "

No sooner did that thought cross his mind, and Red noticed Leaf emerge from the back of the café. She must have noticed him too because as she was walking back to her table, Leaf suddenly came to a dead stop in the middle of the café with her eyes as wide as they could go.

She stared at him for a few seconds before quickly bolting to her table and covering her face with her menu in hopes he wouldn't notice her.

" _Oh…come on Leaf! You know I clearly saw you!_ " Red thought as he watched her continuously try to hide herself.

Despite Leaf's best attempts, all it took was a small tilt of Red's head to see past her menu. " _Speaking of which, what ARE you wearing?_ " he wondered as his eyes drifted to her dress, " _You never said anything about dressing up for this meeting._ "

Even though he was deathly afraid of how she was going to react, Red knew what he had to do. " _Okay…he we go…_ " he thought as he took a deep breath and slowly began walking towards her, " _Just remember Red; you've talked to this girl numerous times….both on and offline._ "

After what felt like an eternity, Red finally made his way over to where Leaf was sitting. Despite only being a few feet from her, she was still holding that menu over her face and Red sighed as he took his finger and slowly tipped the menu down, revealing her surprised face.

"Ms. Leaf Green…." he announced as they finally met eye to eye, "Fancy meeting you here tonight!"

In that moment, everything was silent. Leaf's mouth was completely agape and Red could literally see the whirlwind of emotions flashing through her eyes as she stared up at him. "Y-you!" she finally spoke up, "What are you doing here?!"

To be continued…

* * *

 **Hey Everyone Bass Here**

 **I know! I know! I'm a terrible person for leaving it on such a cliff-hanger! But you know what?! I have no regrets! HA-HA! Shower me with your hatred!**

 **In all seriousness, originally this chapter and the now chapter 8 were supposed to be one, but it was getting so long that I had to split them up and a hell of a place to split them up too ;) That being said, the framework for chapter 8 has been mostly done already, but it'll still take some time to write it all out, so have patience my friends.**

 **As always, thank you guys for all your support! You're the best and I really do appreciate all your feedback.**

 **Until next time Ciao!**


	8. Chapter 8: Acceptance

Chapter 8: Acceptance

It is often said that because life works in mysterious ways, you should never judge a situation before it truly happens. At least, that's what a particular young man thought when he found out that a certain brunette haired girl sitting before him was not only his business rival but also his anonymous friend that he had been talking to online for almost a year now and loved dearly.

Perhaps she would understand, perhaps she would look past all the bad things that had happened between the two of them and see him for who he truly was.

But no….5 simple words and one look into her eyes was all it took to tell him that wasn't the case. It was enough to tell him….that she wished he wasn't the one.

" _What…am….I….doing….here?_ "

Her words echoed throughout Red's mind over and over again as he bafflingly stared down at her.

" _How have you not figured it out yet?_ "

Now faced with a do or die situation, Red's mind began to race. A part of him wanted nothing more than to just tell her the truth and get her reaction over and done with. However, what would happen if she reacted badly to his reveal? After all, he WAS the reason why her daycare was closing and the last thing Red wanted was to lose his anonymous e-mail friend because of that.

Right now, it was clear that he was walking a thin line and all it would take is one false move for everything to come crashing down.

" _I think….it would be best to wait and see how this plays out before I even bother revealing the truth."_ he finally concluded after much deliberation, _"If she is indeed who I believe she is…..I can't risk losing her….._ "

With that in mind, Red put on his best game face and prepared for the oncoming conversation ahead.

"What am I doing here?" he repeated the brunette haired girl's question, desperately trying to think of a reason why he'd ever come to a café like this, "Well…I don't know if you knew this but….according to one of my customers, this place has the best Occaian blends this side of Saffron and I just had to come and try one for myself!"

Completely oblivious to the act Red was clearly putting on in front of her, Leaf's mind was also racing a mile a minute. Here she'd been waiting at this café for almost an hour for her mystery man to show up and of all people to come walking in, it just had to be him.

" _It doesn't make any sense, why would HE come to a place like this alone?!"_ she stressfully thought to herself and as she listened to Red give his explanation as to why he was here, a crazy idea suddenly crossed her mind, " _T-that is unless he's…..could he….no that's ridiculous!_ "

Leaf shook her head, quickly dismissing the idea and prayed that her real mystery man would show up soon so she wouldn't have to talk to the pokemon centre's owner for very long.

"Oh…I see…." she mumbled, trying to act disinterested as Red placed his hand on the chair in front of her.

"Do you mind if I sit down?"

He'd barely moved the chair an inch before Leaf reached out to stop him. "Yes! I do actually!" she immediately yelled out, causing Red to recoil in shock.

Embarrassed at her sudden outburst, Leaf blushed and covered her mouth. "I-It's just….I'm…..waiting for someone to come…." she quickly explained before looking away.

Continuing to put on the best act he could, Red jokingly raised his eyebrow and began to look around. "Well….they're clearly not here right now are they?" he sarcastically remarked as he once again placed his hand on the chair and attempted to pull it out, "So…..if you don't mind…."

Leaf's eyes widened as he began to sit down in front of her. "H-hey-" she tried to yell out, but this time Red raised his hand to cut her off.

"Don't worry, I promise that I'll move once they show up okay." he assured and smiled as he watched her nervously shift around in her seat.

"May I just say you look very lovely tonight."

No sooner did he say that and Leaf's face turned a shade of crimson. He was truly the last person she wanted to hear that from. "S-shut up!" she yelled as she looked down at herself.

Red was confused. He wasn't lying, the dress Leaf had on was very nice and she really did look beautiful in it. "Uhh…it was just a complement Leaf." he sarcastically remarked, "Would you rather I tell you otherwise?"

"N-no!" she stammered, crossing her arms over her chest, "J-just sit there and keep your compliments to yourself, mister!"

"Alright fine….geez…."

For the next few minutes, the two just sat there; Red awkwardly looking at the girl in front of him and Leaf doing her best to avoid eye contact.

" _Wow….this is just a great first meeting huh….._ " Red mulled to himself as he sighed heavily, " _Come on_ _ **Luckygirl**_ _, it's not like you to be so quiet._ "

Thankfully, their silence was cut short as a waiter finally came over carrying a tray. "Your drink sir!" he announced as he placed a cup of steaming red liquid in front of Red, "Be careful, the Occaian blend is very hot."

"Oh, I will! thank you!" he replied before sarcastically thinking to himself, " _Whatever that means…._ "

With that, Red quickly grabbed the cup and Leaf watched as he hovered it in front of his mouth. "Okay! Time to see just how great this place actually is!" he mused as he downed the entire drink in one gulp.

Much to Red's surprise, the drink actually had a nice tangy flavor to it. " _Hmm….not bad…_ " he thought. However as he continued to slosh the drink around his mouth, a terrible burning sensation suddenly began to envelop it.

All too soon, his eyes began to water and Red found himself bent over the side of the table, coughing hard as he tried to catch his breath.

As quick as he could, he snatched a glass of water from a nearby table and downed the whole thing in an attempt to cool his mouth down.

While this was all happening, Leaf watched with bewilderment. Unsure whether she should be amused or baffled at what was occurring in front of her. " _Seriously? Is this guy for real?!"_ she thought as she covered her mouth, trying so hard not to laugh at him.

After a few seconds of trying to cool his mouth off, Red popped his head back up. "G-good stuff!" he squeaked as he sat back up and Leaf panicked as she noticed his eyes wander to the small pink doll perched on the table, "Oh? Do you always bring this little guy to restaurants with you?"

"Hey!" she yelled as he picked the doll up and began to examine it.

"I'll admit this is a pretty cute Clefairy doll." he declared before slyly adding, "Though….in my opinion…I've always pictured you as more of a…. **Skitty** girl."

Leaf was taken aback by what Red just said. Her love for Skitty was always a reoccurring joke between her and her mystery man. So how did he know th- " _Ahh! Someone probably told him!_ " she quickly reassured herself, dismissing the idea entirely.

With that, Leaf turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "Red can you please put that down!" she demanded, snatching the doll out of his hands and placing it back on the table, "It needs to stay right here!"

"Ooookay…." Red sheepishly replied, amazed at just how serious Leaf was actually taking this and he watched as she quickly began glancing behind him to see if anyone had shown up.

" _Don't bother looking around Leaf, I'm right here….._ " he jokingly thought to himself before rubbing his temple, " _This is going to be a long night isn't it…."_

* * *

The two continued to sit in silence for the next few minutes. By this time, Leaf had given up glancing around to see if her mystery man had shown up and was just sitting there with her head resting atop her hand.

Red watched as she brushed a strand of her long brown hair from her forehead and sighed. On any other day this girl was so easy to talk to, why was he having so much trouble now? " _Come on Red! Say something to her!_ " he thought as he stared at her longingly. However, before he could say anything, Leaf suddenly spoke up instead.

"So…..aren't you going to say anything?" she muttered to him.

"Huh?" Red wondered, unsure of what she was talking about, "About what?"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about the protest you moron!" she frustratingly stated before turning away, "I'm sure you have hundreds of things you want to say to me about it! So just….get it over with!"

" _The….protest?_ " Red confusingly thought to himself. Of all things for her to bring up, that was the last thing that was on his mind.

Unsure of what Leaf wanted to hear from him, Red shrugged nonchalantly. "Nope." he simply replied causing Leaf's eyes to widen in shock.

"Huh?"

"Maybe you were unaware of this Leaf, but I don't live in the past." he casually explained to her, "I was always taught to keep moving forward and even when things look their bleakest, to never give up until it's over."

Leaf glanced away. She remembered, all too well, Red saying those exact words to her when they first met. Words that….gave her courage when she first heard them.

"Those words…"

"Remind you of the first day we met?"

Leaf narrowed her eyes. "The first day you lied to me!" she sternly corrected him.

Red looked down at his feet and sighed; he couldn't deny that she wasn't wrong in saying that. "Fair enough…I'll admit, lying was a horrible thing to do to you that day." he admitted thinking back to when they first met, "…and….believe me…..if I could turn back the clock and prevent it from ever happening I would."

A shocked expression formed on Leaf's face. Did that actually happen? Did Red, the man competing with her just….apologise for his actions? She didn't know what to think or whether everything he had just said was all an act or actually sincere. He was truly a hard one to read.

"Look….if it makes you feel any better, I have nothing to say about your little protest." he stated, trying his best to ease the tension between them. "It happened, what's done is done…..I've moved on."

Leaf couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all that time and effort she'd put into organizing that protest she figured that Red would be at least somewhat affected by it. But no, here he was still as calm as ever, completely unfazed by what had happened and Leaf had to admit, it kinda disappointed her.

"Well, that's enough about me." Red said in an attempt to change the conversation, "I think the real question is….why are YOU here tonight Ms. Green?"

A smile formed on his face as he watched Leaf's eyes widen. He knew full well, the true reason why she was here and he couldn't help but wonder just what she would tell him.

"I-I'm….supposed to meet someone here!" she quickly stated trying to dodge the question, but Red refused to let up.

"Your boyfriend?"

"N-no! It's not him, I'm….meeting someone else." Leaf stammered really not wanting to tell him the truth.

"Someone…..else?" Red slyly remarked as he looked her up and down, "Well considering how nicely you've dressed tonight, it must be a very special person indeed…."

Leaf quickly nodded in agreement. "Y-yes! This person is very special to me!"

"So…..what do they look like?"

"I….can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"B-because!"

"Because….why not?"

Completely irritated by this line of questioning, Leaf suddenly jumped out of her seat and yelled at the top of her lungs. "BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW OKAY!"

Silence immediately fell over the café and Leaf embarrassingly looked around to see that everyone in the café was now staring at her…..everyone except Red that is. He was just sitting there with his eyes closed, calm as ever.

"You don't know huh? Now that's weird…." he duly stated, scratching his head in an attempt to appear confused, "How could you be expecting someone, if you don't even know what they look like?"

Completely flustered, Leaf slammed both her hands on the table and leaned towards him. "Y-you wouldn't understand!" she declared, but her words only served to make the smirk on Red's face grow even larger.

"Oh…I wouldn't be so sure about that…." he stated as he began to rub his chin in thought, "Let me guess…..you met them on the internet?"

No sooner did Red mention that and Leaf froze in shock. First, he brings stuff up that she would only mention online and now he managed to guess her intentions on the first try. "You? H-how did you-" she attempted to yell out before Red raised his hand to stop her.

"I…may have dabbled a bit with it here and there in the past." he casually explained, causing Leaf to sigh in relief.

"O-oh…."

Red took a deep breath as he uttered the phrase that connected them together, " **You've got poke-mail….** " he cryptically stated as he tipped his hat over his eyes. "Those are some powerful words right there…."

Leaf was at a loss for words, just hearing him say that sent a shiver down her spine as the thought of Red and her mystery man being one and the same once again crossed her mind.

Desperate for any excuse to disprove her thoughts, Leaf suddenly perked up as she heard the jingle of the door opening and saw a figure enter the café.

Seeing just how excited she was, Red glanced over his shoulder as well to see a well-dressed young gentleman walk into the café and look around.

The two observed as he began to walk towards them….only to turn and sit at another table with a bunch of people at it.

With that, Red turned back around with a smile on his face. "I take it that wasn't the person you were waiting for?" he mused as a sad expression formed on Leaf's face.

"I guess not…"

Red watched as she slowly sat back down in her chair and sighed. Judging by her actions, it appeared that she cared just as much for his online persona as he did hers. It was unbelievable and despite a part of him really wanting to tell her the truth, another part of him still wanted to keep up this charade. If only because he was curious what she really thought of his online persona.

"So…tell me….what's he like?" he inquired, placing his head atop his hand. "It…..is a he I'm assuming."

"Why do you care?"

Red shrugged. "I'm just curious that's all," he assured her and despite looking uninterested on the outside, he was dying to find out on the inside. "I mean….just what kind of man could have you so….head over heels like this?"

"I am not head over heels for him!" Leaf suddenly blurted out before immediately covering her mouth in embarrassment.

Red couldn't help but chuckle. She looked so cute right now and the more flustered she became, the cuter she got. "Ooookaaayyy….." he sarcastically replied. "Whatever you say, _**madam.**_ "

Leaf's eyes widened as he, once again, said something that mirrored what her mystery man would usually say to her. "W-what did you just call me?"

"Madam" he clarified to her, "It's a showing of formality. Why do you ask?"

"N-nothing! It just…"

Leaf didn't know what to think. Right now her heart was racing a mile a minute as conflict welled in her mind. The fact that Red showed up tonight, the fact that he said a lot of things like her mystery man did, could it all just be a coincidence?

"It's just…..what?" she heard Red call out to her and upon looking over at him, a part of Leaf wondered if she should ask him the question she was dying to know. However, if she did and it turned out to not be true…..Red would never let this down.

"Never mind! Forget it!" she declared, quickly dismissing the idea once again. There was no way he was her mystery man, "For your information, the person I'm meeting tonight is very respectable!"

"Is he now?" Red inquired, he was having way too much fun with this.

A smile formed on Leaf's face as she thought about all the things that described her mystery man. "Yes! He's…..kind, sweet, intelligent, loves pokemon and above all else he's-"

"He's not me, is that what you're trying to get at?"

Frustrated, Leaf rolled her eyes at Red and sighed deeply. "Red! C-can you…..can you please move!" she demanded, unable to take this line of questioning any longer, "He's going to be coming soon and I don't want him thinking that we're….."

"You don't want him to think that we're…..what?" Red wondered as she nervously played with her hair.

"L-look I just….I promised I'd meet him alone okay." she stammered, trying her best to explain, "….and if you're sitting here….it might scare him off."

Upon hearing her reason, Red felt his heart drop as all too soon, memories of their last conversation came flowing back into his head.

* * *

 _ **Luckygirl : So? Are you excited?! We're actually going to meet one another tomorrow!**_

 **Thechampion151 : I'll admit….I'm a bit nervous :S**

 _ **Luckygirl: Aww! *hugs you* If it would make you feel more comfortable we could each bring a friend along with us.**_

 **Thechampion151 : Actually….if it's okay with you I'd feel more comfortable if it's just us. I…get a little nervous with big crowds and….I just….want to be with you. **

_**Luckygirl: Of course sweetie ;) To be honest…that's all I want too…..more than anything.**_

 **Thechampion151 : Okay! It's a promise!**

* * *

Red was frozen with shock as the memory played over and over in his head. "Oh…I see…" he muttered as he stood up from his chair. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll just….go sit over here and leave you alone then."

Leaf watched as he walked to the empty table behind her. "Thank you…." she whispered in return, surprised at what she had just managed to accomplish.

Red was still in disbelief at what just happened. He felt touched that Leaf actually remembered his request he made to her last night and was actually staying true to it. However, at the same time, it frustrated him to no end that she was still oblivious as to who he was. _"Seriously?! How many clues do I have to give you before you finally figure this out?!_ " Red thought as he sat down in one of the chairs and rubbed his temple.

He then quickly glanced behind him to see Leaf frantically trying to fix her hair with one hand as she held a portable mirror in the other.

"Don't worry you look fine!" he cheekily announced causing her to shriek and blush profusely as she saw him in the mirror's reflection.

Amused, Red turned back around and shook his head. " _This is going nowhere….I might as well just tell her and get it over with…._ " he finally decided, tired of the charade he was putting on.

However, just as he was about to muster the courage to tell her, a question popped in his head. A question that he had been curious about for a while now, a question that….if he did tell her the truth, was going to come up eventually and he wanted to know what her response would be.

"Hey….while you're waiting….do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?!" Leaf immediately snapped back at him without even turning around.

The level of irritation in her voice made Red shake a little on the inside. "O-out of curiosity…." he nervously began before finally asking, "W-would you…ever consider working for me?"

Leaf annoyingly closed her eyes. "….and why would I ever want to do that?!" she grumbled back at him.

"Well….if we could be serious for a minute Leaf, I truly think you're an amazing worker! One of the best I've ever seen in my life!" Red sincerely attempted to explain to her, "….and….while the daycare I have at my pokemon centre may not be the same as yours….I-I think if you worked for me….and….took the time to get to know me….w-we could…potentially…work very well togeth-"

"Red I wouldn't work for you if you were the last man on earth!" Leaf sternly declared causing him to lower his head in defeat. Truth be told, he had anticipated that kind of response from her….it was what she said next that really sent him off the deep end.

"….how could I ever work for a man who doesn't even care about how people's pokemon are treated and only cares about the mone-"

*SCREEEEEEEEEEE*

The sound of Red's chair scrapping against the floor of the cafe pierced the ears of every single person present, including Leaf.

More enraged than he had ever been in his entire life, Red marched back over to her table and stared her dead in the eye.

"NOW YOU LISTEN HERE!" he yelled at the top lungs, "I've had to spend the past 2 weeks listening to you constantly put me down and make false accusations against me with your little protest!"

Before Leaf could respond, Red suddenly leaned over the table and got right up in her face. "But don't you DARE sit here and tell me that I only care about the money!" he stated, sternly pointing at her as he did, "I care about every single pokemon that comes through the doors of my pokemon centre and I do my DAMNDEST to ensure that they receive the best care money can buy!"

Red panted heavily as he waited for Leaf to say something in return. However, nothing could prepare him for what actually came out of her mouth. "Oh? By giving them cheap potions that barely even help them get better?!" she smugly replied to him, completely unfazed by his yelling.

"What?!"

Just then, something triggered something inside Leaf. Seeing Red's shocked expression after what she had just said to him lit a burning passion in her that she had never felt before. She had just spoke her mind and for the first time since their rivalry started, Leaf felt like she was in charge. She felt powerful and she was going to let Red know exactly what she thought of him.

"Red, you can't fool me!" she declared, sharply narrowing her eyes at him. "Your company doesn't care about pokemon and you…..well you're nothing more than a manipulative suit for it!"

With that said, Leaf quickly looked away. She fully expected Red to either yell or say some kind of snappy come back to her, but much to her surprise, neither happened and when she looked back up at him, Leaf saw that he looked….hurt by what she said.

"Is….is that really what you think about me…." he hollowly said as if all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs.

Leaf froze, stunned by his change in attitude. "R-red…I-" she attempted to speak but immediately stopped as Red loudly slammed his fist on the table.

"N-no! Answer the question!" he demanded as his eyes began to gloss over, "Is that what you….r-really think about me?!"

As Leaf stared into his teary eyes, a part of her began to feel absolutely terrible and she wanted nothing more than to apologize for what she said. However, there was another part of her that felt absolutely no remorse. This was the man who had brought her to this state, it was HIS pokemon centre that made her suffer and now….she was going to make him suffer too.

With her daycare and friends in mind, Leaf lifted her head high and proudly proclaimed. "Yes! That's what I really think about you!"

Red couldn't stop the few stray tears that escaped from his eyes. Right then and there he knew that any hope he had for Leaf seeing and….potentially loving him for who he was…..was gone.

"….I…..you…"

For the next few seconds, Red attempted to find the right words to say. But, try as he might, nothing came out of his mouth. He just sat there frozen like a statue, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Excuse me, sir?" A voice suddenly called out to him, "Would you care for another drink?"

Red immediately looked over to see a waiter standing there holding a pot in his hand. "No…." he struggled to say to him, "Thank you but no…..I'm just about to leave."

The waiter nodded and Red turned his attention back to the brunette haired girl in front of him.

"I just…..I…."

Frustrated and still unable to find the words to say to her, Red simply reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of money to pay for his drink and slammed it on the table. "Enjoy your night!" he finally said to her before standing up and walking away.

Leaf sighed as she watched him storm out of the café and slam the door behind him. It was strange, in the heat of the moment she felt absolutely no remorse for him, but now guilt was beginning to set in.

" _Did….did those words actually come out of MY mouth?_ " Leaf wondered as she buried her face in her hands. She had never talked someone down like that before and now she really felt horrible about it. This was supposed to be a happy night and it had turned into a complete disaster.

" _Oh….please come soon….I can't take much more of this….._ "

* * *

Outside, Ethan saw Red come storming out of the cafe and quickly ran over to him. "So? Are you two an item now or wha-" he stopped as his boss walked right past him, "Red?"

"GO HOME!" he yelled out and despite Ethan's attempts to call out to him, Red just ignored him and kept on walking, never stopping for a second glance until making it home.

When he finally did, it ended up taking Red almost 10 minutes just to open his front door. He was so furious that he couldn't stop his hand from shaking as he tried to fit his key into the keyhole.

Upon opening the door, Pikachu immediately came running up to him. "Pika! Pika!" it greeted, happy to see its trainer return home.

However, much to Pikachu's surprise, Red was anything but happy and he cursed as he fought to take his jacket off. When he finally did manage to take it off, Red forcefully threw it against the wall and stormed down the hallway without even giving the tiny pokemon a second thought.

Pikachu didn't know what to do. It had never seen it's trainer so angry before and despite wanting to comfort him, it decided it would be better if it left him alone.

Red proceeded to mutter curse after curse under his breath as he continued to walk down the hall. There were so many emotions going through his head right now and he wanted nothing more than to just shut himself away from the world.

Along the way, Red passed by the room that housed his PC and stopped. Tears began to fill his eyes as all the happy memories of talking to Leaf suddenly began to flood his mind. Happy memories that were now revealed to be….meaningless, empty, a complete sham.

More upset than ever, Red grabbed the door to the PC room and with all the force he could muster, slammed it shut while yelling. "NEVER AGAIN!" at the top of his lungs.

With tears streaming down his face, Red quickly ran to his room and closed the door behind him. Unable to hold it back any longer, he sat down on his bed and began to openly weep into his hands. He couldn't believe the things Leaf had said to him and despite being angry, above all else...he was heartbroken.

* * *

Back within the walls of the Dubonney Café, Leaf wasn't feeling any better. Hours had passed since Red had left and by this time she was the only person sitting in the café….alone.

"Excuse me miss? But, we're closing now…" A waiter stated as he began to clean up around her.

Leaf still had her head buried in her hands when she heard the waiter and upon looking up at him, began to panic. "Oh please! Can I just stay for a couple more minutes!" she pleaded, desperately glancing over at the door. "The person I'm waiting for might still show up!"

Despite her pleas, the waiter shook his head. "I'm sorry miss….but I'm going to have to ask you to leave!" he sternly stated and Leaf reluctantly stood up from her chair.

"O-okay…." she sadly muttered as she placed some pokedollars on the table to pay for all the drinks she'd had that night.

With that, Leaf began to slowly make her way down the streets of Saffron towards her apartment. She was trying so hard to not break down and start crying, although a few tears managed to escape her eyes anyway.

Along the way, she spotted a garbage can and with tears rolling down her cheeks, sadly threw her Clefairy doll into the trash can. In the span of one night, whatever hope she had for ever meeting her mystery man and saving her daycare had just vanished.

It was over.

* * *

Life resumed as normal the next day as Leaf walked the streets of Saffron towards her daycare. However, she found herself walking much slower than normal as an arduous task laid before her. Not only was she upset about the events of last night, but she was also going to have to explain to her friends what happened as well.

"So….he never showed?" Lyra clarified as Leaf finished explaining everything that happened to her.

"No…he never did…."

Seeing how sad her friend was, Lyra crossed her arms. "I can't believe he stood you up!" she stated in disbelief, "There's got to be an explanation for this Leaf!"

Leaf shook her head. "That's the thing Lyra, I haven't heard from him at all." she explained as she lowered her head, "I mean…..do you think he showed up at the cafe last night, saw me and…..gave up...….."

"Oh come on! That can't be true!" Lyra stated as she lightly punched Leaf in the shoulder and put her arm around her, "You were a total knockout in that dress! No guy would ever turn you down!"

Leaf rolled her eyes as she thought about the dress Lyra picked out for her. "Maybe you thought so…." she sarcastically remarked before stressfully rubbing her temple, "Lyra….believe me, if I could give you an explanation I would."

"Well, something must have happened Leaf!" Lyra reassured her friend and began rubbing her chin trying to think of a good excuse as to why he wouldn't show. "Hmm…..perhaps….he was saving some poor Meowth from a tree and couldn't make it there on time?"

As much as she wanted to believe that scenario, Leaf had to shake her head in disagreement. "But if that was the case, why wouldn't he message me and tell me that something happened?"

"True…." Lyra muttered, unable to think of a way to counter that statement, "So….I guess you ended up sitting there alone for the whole night huh…."

"No…not the whole night…" Leaf admitted causing Lyra to curiously raise her eyebrows.

"Oh?"

"…..Red showed up…."

"Red? The pokemon centre's owner?!" Lyra stated in shock and all too soon, an idea popped in her head, "W-wait! You don't thi-"

"NO!" Leaf defiantly replied before Lyra even had a chance to say anything, "I know what you're going to suggest and there's no way that he's-"

*DING* The sound of the door rang out and the 2 girls looked over to see Cynthia walk in.

Fully expecting to come into the daycare and see the 2 giggling about what happened last night, Cynthia was shocked to see them just standing there, staring at her.

"So?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

"He never showed!" Lyra quickly replied before Leaf even had a chance to respond.

Cynthia's eyes widened in disbelief. "He stood you up?!" she clarified causing Leaf sigh heavily.

"See?! This is why I shouldn't have told you both!" she frustratingly stated as she walked away.

Deeply concerned, Cynthia quickly ran after her brunette haired friend. "Hey! Hold on Leaf! Tell me what happened!" she called out to her.

Meanwhile, Lyra quickly glanced through the morning paper and what she saw on the cover almost caused her to drop it in shock.

"Oh Leaf….I think you'd better check this out!" she yelled as she ran over to her friend as well.

Leaf quickly took the paper for herself and looked at the front page article. " _ **Local Rocket Grunt Arrested After Attempted Robbery.**_ " she read out loud.

Immediately, Leaf lowered the paper and looked over at her friend in disbelief. "What are you trying to get at Lyra?!" she demanded as Lyra nervously shrugged in response.

"W-well….it did happen last night Leaf…..and…apparently it happened only a few blocks from the café."

"Hmm….that would explain why you haven't heard anything from him…" Cynthia chimed in, rubbing her chin in thought as she considered the idea as well.

Before Leaf could say anything in response, Lyra suddenly lunged forward and hugged her tight. "Oh my god Leaf! You could have been killed!" she stated with fear.

Leaf rolled her eyes at her friend's ridiculous attitude. "Get off me Lyra!" she demanded as she tried to push her friend away. "He not a member of Team Rocket… he can't be!"

Not wanting to think about it anymore, Leaf grabbed a broom and handed it to her pig-tailed friend. "Come we have work to do!" she stated as she grabbed a broom for herself.

" _I'm sure there's a reason why you couldn't come last night…_ " she thought as she began to clean up the daycare _"….there just has to be….._ "

* * *

While a sombre mood continued to loom over the Sunflora Daycare Centre, things weren't any better at at Red & Co's Super Pokemon Centre either.

"Red! Hey, Red!" Ethan yelled out as he desperately chased his friend through the halls of the centre. "What's going on?! What happened between you and that girl?!"

Despite Ethan's cries, Red refused to turn around. "I don't want to talk about it!" he defiantly stated as he tipped his hat over his eyes.

Ethan couldn't believe what he was seeing. Red had never been this angry before and as he watched him walk away, Ethan couldn't help but shake his head. " _For crying out loud! He's acting like a chick!_ " he thought as he ran to catch up to his friend, "Red! Talk to me man! What happened last night?!"

"What's there to talk about?!" Red immediately snapped back before lowering his head and muttering to himself, "Frigging care about someone so much for the past year and then you meet her and find out she's nothing that you expected!"

Without warning, Red suddenly turned around and began flailing his arms wildly. "Oh! Look at me! I'm Leaf Green! I care about all the pokemon and am loved by everyone!" he sarcastically acted out to Ethan before getting right up in his face, "Well not me! You wanna know what I think of her?!"

"Re-"

"I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I THINK OF HER! SHE'S A….a…." Red trailed off, turning his head away as he did, "Ughhh! I can't even bring myself to say it!"

Ethan sighed, he couldn't bear seeing his friend like this. "Red….whatever it is, just…say it and get it off your chest already." he offered, hoping it would help calm his friend down.

With that, Red looked back up and with venom in his voice, yelled the first words that came to his mind.

"Alright! Fine! She's a **BITCH!** "

Immediately, Red covered his mouth, disgusted at what he had just said.

"There you go….do you feel better now?"

Red shook his head in frustration before turning and walking away, he was a complete mess right now. That whole day, Leaf was the only thing that encompassed his mind. He couldn't concentrate on his work and all the daycare employees could tell that something was wrong with him.

* * *

The day passed by quickly. However, even after Red got back home, his mood wouldn't improve.

"For the thousandth time Pikachu! NO!" he lectured the tiny electrical pokemon as it followed him around the house. "We're never talking to her again and that's final!"

"Pikachu! Pika?!" it replied, confused as to why it's trainer was suddenly acting so strange.

"No! I'm done talking! She doesn't care about me and I….." Red paused, struggling to say the words that would come out of his mouth, "I-I don't care about her either…."

Pikachu watched as its trainer then began to rapidly pace back and forth, grasping his head as he did. "Ughh! I need to do something to get her out of head….." he muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Red came to a dead stop and snapped his fingers. "Hey! Let's go to the battle square! Just you and me! Come on!"

Not one to turn that idea down, Pikachu happily followed suit. It hoped that maybe a good pokemon battle would be just the thing its trainer needed to improve his mood. However, as they made their way to the front door, Pikachu stopped as it remembered what time it was.

Meanwhile, Red still rambling as he put his coat on and opened the front door. "Yeah! We'll go have a few battles and it'll be a great ti…..Uh-oh….."

As he opened the door, Red's eyes were met with the starry night sky and he froze as a harsh realization set in. "J-just remembered….battle square closes after dark…." he stammered as he slowly turned around to see his tiny partner nodding in agreement.

"Pika….Pika…." it dully replied.

With that idea a complete bust, Red began to nervously fidget about, desperate to think of another idea to pass the time. "U-umm….OH!" he suddenly perked up, picking his yellow partner off the ground as he did. "Let's play a round of our new PC game, Triple Picross! Remember how much fun that was?"

Pikachu perked up at that suggestion as well, but all too soon, its smile faded as Red watched as it shake its head in disagreement.

"Oh yeah….takes…three players…." he muttered, thinking back to how they used to play before, "She….used to always….come and join us….."

That said, Red turned away and Pikachu could see the conflict in his eyes. "Ah! Who needs her?!" he sternly declared as he walked away, "I can think of a 100 better ways to pass the time!"

* * *

Meanwhile, after a gruelingly long day at work, Leaf had finally returned home.

Like lightning, she wasted no time in bolting to her computer room, desperate to see if her mystery man had responded to her.

However, a quick log into her e-mail accounted revealed that still no message had come.

"Still nothing….." she sighed as she stared longingly at her computer screen, "I don't understand….he seemed so happy to meet me, why would he ditch me like that?"

Leaf looked down at her feet, the fact that he hadn't shown up wasn't what hurt her the most. It was that it had almost been a whole day and she still hadn't received any explanation as to why.

That's all she wanted to know…..why? Did she do something wrong? Did something happen to him? Not knowing tore her apart and as she sat there staring down at her feet, Leaf's mind began to fill with doubt.

" _Maybe…..maybe Blue was right all along._ " she pondered as she began to rub her temple in thought, " _Perhaps…I do have my head in the clouds too much….._ "

That in mind, Leaf stood up from her chair and walked over to a nearby window.

For the past year, she devoted herself to this person. This one person whom she believed really cared about her and even when everybody turned against her, he still believed in her no matter what. To Leaf, this person was unlike anyone she had ever met before and she couldn't believe that such a person could exist in the world.

However, after last night, perhaps that really was the case. Perhaps a person like that really doesn't exist in this world and she was just fooling herself the whole time.

After all….she had never actually seen his face. How could she know if he was real or not?

" _Maybe I just need to face reality and realize that…..dreams are just illusions….._ " Leaf thought as she stared down at the streets of Saffron. " _They don't come true…._ "

* * *

Back at Red's house, a battle raged on the TV as Red and Pikachu awaited the outcome.

"Annnnnddddd Rhyhorn dodges out of the way…only to be hit by an incoming tri-attack!" an announcer on TV screamed out loud, "….and that's the battle folks! Dodrio wins!"

"What?! Oh come on!" Red shouted while flailing his arms at the TV screen, "It's a shame the way they command that team….."

More upset than before, he hastily clicked the TV off and slumped back in his chair, wondering what else to do to pass the time.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was quietly perched atop his shoulder, completely bored out of its mind as well. Normally, Red was very lively and full of energy and it killed the tiny pokemon to see him in such a state.

Without warning, Pikachu jumped off of Red's shoulder and ran over to a nearby window.

"Where are you going?" he asked as Pikachu lifted the window open.

The electrical pokemon turned to its trainer and pointed outside. "Pika! Pi!" it said before jumping into the bushes below.

"Fine….do what you want…" Red sighed as he grabbed a newspaper beside his chair and began to sift through it, "I would much rather read about…." he stopped as he looked over a page with a bunch of charts on it, "The….poke-stock…"

Red slowly lowered the paper and began shaking his head. "Even I can't say that with a straight face!" he declared as he quickly threw the paper away.

With that, his eyes began darting from one end of the room to the other thinking of something, anything he could do to pass the time…..and then he saw the phone.

Quick as lightning, Red dashed over and began dialing Yellow's number. "I never thought the day would come that hearing about Yellow's pokemon activist stuff was the best way to pass the time," he muttered as the phone rang over and over again.

After about the 10th ring, Red finally gave up and hung the phone back up. "Of course, you're not home tonight…," he grumbled as he slumped back into his chair.

Just then, Pikachu returned, leaping through the window and onto Red's lap.

"You're back." he stated and upon looking down at the tiny electrical pokemon, saw that it had something in its mouth, "What have you got there?"

Pikachu walked over and placed the object in Red's hand. "Pika!" it said as it pointed towards his hand.

Red sighed, sitting in his hand was a thin green object that was present on every tree in Saffron. "It's a…..leaf…." he duly noted, seeing exactly what his pokemon was trying to get at, "Very cute Pikachu…..but you're still not changing my mind!"

"Pika?"

"How many times do I have to explain it to you?! That girl doesn't care about us Pikachu!" he sternly explained to the electrical pokemon. "I'm the reason why her daycare is suffering and there's nothing I could ever say or do to change that fact!"

"And even if…." he paused as he thought more about the situation, "Even if circumstances were different, it doesn't change that….I'm not the one she's in love with…."

The more that fact sank in, the more Red began to realize. "She's only in love with this….idea of who I am…..that's all…." he muttered, coming to a realization that his meeting with Leaf was probably destined to fail no matter what.

A sad expression began to form on Red's face as he just sat there in silence, biting his lip in thought before finally standing up. "I'm…uhh….going to get something to eat, you wanna come?"

Pikachu nodded in agreement and the two made their way to the kitchen. However, on the way there the two passed by the closed computer room and Pikachu watched as Red stopped and stared longingly at it.

Hoping its trainer had changed his mind, Pikachu jumped up on his shoulder and tried to coax him in. "Pi!" It said while pointing at the computer room but Red defiantly shook his head and just kept walking.

The two had a quick bite to eat and as they were returning to the living room, Pikachu noticed Red glance over at the computer room but paid no heed to it.

Just as they were about to walk back into the living room, Red suddenly stopped. "H-hang on Pikachu." he said causing the electric pokemon to look back at him, "I-I forgot my drink!"

With that, Red walked back to the kitchen, once again glancing at the computer room as he passed by.

For the next few minutes, Pikachu watched as Red found every excuse he could to walk back to the kitchen. "I forgot my phone, I forgot my keys, I forgot my fork!" he would say and glanced at the computer room every time he passed it, until eventually he just stood in front of it, feverously biting his nails.

Even though it had only been 1 whole day since they last talked, it felt like an eternity and despite how mad he was at her, he couldn't deny that he….really missed her.

Now he had to make a decision: Should he message her or not? Should he or shouldn't he? Sho-

"AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I can't take it anymore! It's just not the same without her!"

Excited that its trainer finally came to his senses Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. "Pika! Pika!" it excitedly stated as it patted his shoulder.

"I know! I know! I miss her too!" he replied, petting it's head as he did, "I miss her so much…."

That said, Red slowly opened the door to his computer room and saw his PC sitting there. It was like an old friend that he hadn't seen in years.

He wasted no time in turning it on and Pikachu jumped on the desk eagerly awaiting what kind of message Leaf had sent to them.

"This is terrible Pikachu!" Red stated, his hands shaking as he awaited his PC to boot up, "Look at me I'm weak! I'm weak from boredom!"

Like lighting, as soon as everything turned on, Red quickly logged into his e-mail account and sure enough that oh so familiar prompt welcomed him back.

*You have 1 new message*

"There it is Pikachu!" Red exclaimed causing his pokemon to excitedly bounce up and down.

"Pika! Pika!"

However, just as Red was about to drag his cursor to click on the message, he suddenly stopped as a frightening thought crossed his mind.

"W-wait Pikachu! I just thought of something!"

"Pika?" it responded, confused as to what the problem was.

Red's eyes began to nervously shift around as the thought began to sink in. "W-whether I want to admit it or not….I….I stood her up. M-my online persona that is." he nervously explained as he took his hand off the mouse, "M-maybe we shouldn't see what she has to say….it could be terrib-"

Unable to wait any longer, Pikachu grabbed the mouse for itself. "PIKACHU!" it yelled out as clicked the message causing Red to cover his eyes in fear.

"AHHH!" he screamed not wanting to know what manner of words she might say to him, but all too soon, curiosity took over and both Red and Pikachu found themselves staring in awe at the message before them.

It was definitely not the kind of message they expected.

 **From: Luckygirl**

 **Hi there.**

 **You know….I've been thinking a lot about you. Tonight I went to meet you and….you never came. I suppose I should have known better than to get all hyped up for it and now I feel so foolish for letting myself get like that. I just….wish I knew why you didn't show up….**

 **Worst of all…as I was waiting for you…a person I never wanted to meet showed up. This person…..has caused me a lot of grief ever since we've known each other and…..just the sight of him….disgusted me to no end.**

Red glanced away. Knowing what he knew, he wanted to stop right there and was just about to stand up and walk away when Pikachu patted his hand.

"Pika…." It said and despite being scared, Red nodded in return.

"You're right Pikachu….I can't run away! I need to see this through to its end!" he replied as he turned his attention back to the message.

 **In the ensuing conversation that occurred, an amazing thing happened that I would never have expected….I spoke my mind.**

 **I let loose, I told this person exactly what I thought of him and you know what? Everything that you had ever told me about speaking my mind…was exactly right.**

 **At the time, I felt great! I felt powerful! For the first time, I was the dominate one, I was in charge!**

 **That was….until….I looked into his eyes.**

Red felt his heart skip a beat. "What?" he muttered in disbelief. Right now, no force in the world could turn him away from what he was reading.

 **They showed a hurt, a sadness that I had never expected this person to ever emote and when he got up and stormed out that door….I felt awful….**

 **In that moment, I realized that…. he's not my enemy, he's a person. A person that….has dreams and worries just like I do and I had no excuse to say the things that I did. I was cruel….and I'm never cruel.**

 **I just…wish there was some way to tell him that I'm sorry but…..I'd doubt he'd even want to look at me, let alone, hear what I have to say….**

 **Look, I want you to know that….even though you ditched me….I'd still like to talk to you and I'm sure you have a good reason for not being there last night. I mean, you've never struck me as a person who would just abandon someone for no reason.**

 **I just hate how we've divulged into only talking about problems lately. When we first began messaging one another, our conversations would be so….bizarre and while they may have been about nothing; that's what made talking to you…special.**

 **You really are special to me and I just want to thank you for everything you've done…because even if you don't realize it, you've made my life a lot more special to be in.**

 **So….thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.**

Red finished reading the message and bit his lip, unsure of how to react to it all. Not only was she willing to forgive his online persona for not showing up, but was also apologetic towards the real him. Behind all those hateful words she had said to him last night, Leaf actually felt bad about what she did and Red couldn't help but feel touched by what she'd said.

This was her, the true Leaf Green, the person he admired so much and he knew that every word she had just said to him was truly sincere.

" _Why….why do you have to do this to me?_ " he thought as he stared at the message before him. " _Why do you have to be…..you?_ "

With that, Red spent the next few minutes in silence. He knew what he had to do next and was mentally preparing himself for the challenge ahead of him. Not only would he have to explain his actions. He was going to have to do it knowing who was on the other end of that screen.

With that in mind, Red took a deep breath and began to type away on his keyboard.

 **From: Thechampion151**

 **Good evening.**

 **You'll never believe what happened to me.**

 **I was in a meeting when all of a sudden, a Zapdos appeared over the building and zapped it causing all the electricity to be drained and I was trapped with no phone an-**

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted out causing Red to stop typing and look over.

"Too over the top?" he sarcastically remarked before looking back at what he had just written, "I thought so too…."

Reluctantly, Red erased everything he had just wrote and began to write again.

 **From: Thechampion151**

 **Hello my friend.**

 **Sorry, I couldn't make it last night, I was too busy trying to save a poor helple-**

"PIKA!" Pikachu yelled at the top of its lungs before grabbing the mouse for itself.

"Hey!" Red yelled back as it forcefully erased this message as well. "What do you want me to say to her?!"

Frustrated, Pikachu began typing on the keyboard with its stubby hands. "Pika!"

Red sighed as he looked at what the electrical pokemon had written to him. "Be honest…." he muttered, reading what it wrote out loud, "How am I supposed, to _**be honest**_ Pikachu? If she finds out who I am she'll never….."

"She'll never want to speak to me again…."

Pikachu watched as Red closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was tired of running from the truth and really wanted her to know exactly what he felt. "I'll tell you what; I'll try my best okay?" he said, patting the electrical pokemon's head in assurance. "I just hope she understands….."

With that in mind, Red turned his attention back to his computer screen and this time, made sure to type exactly what was on his mind.

* * *

As Red continued to write out his message, Leaf found that she was taking a lot longer than usual to get ready for bed. There were so many things she was conflicted about right now and at forefront of all her thoughts was her mystery man.

" _Should I even bother worrying about him anymore?_ " Leaf thought as she let the water from her shower fall on her body, " _Maybe it's time I just…accept what happened and….move on with my life…._ "

With that, Leaf turned her shower off and put on on her pajamas. It was strange, despite all these conflicting emotions, there was still a part of her that didn't want to give up, that believed in her mystery man and didn't want to let him go.

As such, Leaf found herself once again walking back over to her computer room.

"I'm going to look one more time…" she whispered as she turned her on her PC, "One more time…..and that's it."

Leaf's heart began to race faster and faster as she logged into her e-mail account. This is was it, this was the last chance she was going to give him and sure enough….there it was.

*You have 1 new message*

"Oh my god…." she muttered as she covered her mouth to hide her excitement, "He finally responded to me."

With every fiber in her body wanting to move at once, Leaf brought her cursor over to click on the message. Right now, she didn't know whether to feel anxious or relieved at what manner of explanation he could potentially give to her.

Regardless of her feelings, Leaf clicked on the prompt and began to read the ensuing message before her

 **From: Thechampion151**

 **Dear Friend,**

 **Unfortunately, I cannot explain what happened last night. Things occurred that were beyond my control and I beg you from the bottom of my heart to forgive me for not being able to make it.**

 **However, I know that I've hurt you and that I failed to keep my promise to not only meet you, but also to help with your business problem as well. If you choose to never reply to me…..well, no one would ever blame you for that….me least all.**

 **You don't know how terrible I feel that I put you in a situation that caused you additional pain as well. You came to that café expecting to see me and you wound up meeting your enemy instead.**

 **Look, I just want you to know that whatever you said last night was….probably deserved. We all say things that we regret when we're worried or stressed and I am to blame for that.**

 **The fault of all this was mine and mine alone. I led you on and….one day I promise I will explain everything to you. Until that day comes….I'll be here to talk to when you need me.**

 **Because despite all that's happened…..I do care about you. I care about you….more than you know.**

Tears began to stream down Leaf's cheeks as she finished reading the message. Even though it had only been one day, it had felt like an eternity since she last heard from him and just seeing his kind words put her at ease.

"Oh...I'm just…glad you're back," she whispered as she began to type a response back to him.

It didn't take her long to compose what she wanted to say and as Leaf sent the message off, her mind began to wander. On one hand, she loved her mystery man and wanted nothing more than to meet him in real life. But after last night, Leaf realized that she had to face reality.

To her, he was and would probably always be a fantasy and while talking to one another online was great, she had to accept that it probably wouldn't ever go any further than that.

She definitely didn't want to stop talking to him, but it was time for her to start focusing on the real things in her life as well. She had a real job she needed to save, real friends, a real boyfriend and they all deserved her attention just as much.

By this time her message was long gone and Leaf began to shut down her computer for the night. However, just before she left, Leaf reached out and placed her hand on top of her screen. "It's okay…..I forgive you," she whispered as she stood up from her chair with a smile on her face.

"Good night."

* * *

Back at Red's house, Red and Pikachu had finally returned to their living room and were watching TV.

"PIIIIKKKKAAAA..." Pikachu yawned as its eyes grew heavy.

Red yawned as well, tired from everything that had happened over the past few days. "I think it's time we hit the sack Pikachu…" he stated as he turned the TV off and stood up.

Pikachu stood up too and as they made their way down the hall, Red turned to his yellow partner and smiled. "Thanks for helping me come to my senses today buddy, you're the best," he said as he scratched Pikachu's head.

"Pika!" the electrical pokemon happily responded and glanced over at the computer room as they passed by.

Red glanced over as well and nervously bit his lip. "Do you…..want to see if we got a response from her?" he asked, bending down to the pokemon's level.

Pikachu took another glance at the computer room before turning to Red and quickly nodding.

Red nodded as well. After everything that had happened, he expected a quick response from her and sure enough, as soon as Red logged in he was welcomed by that familiar prompt once again.

*You have 1 new message*

" _Wow….she really did respond already._ " Red thought as he hovered his mouse above the message, " _I wonder….how she's going to react to what I said?"_

Nervous, Red glanced over at his yellow partner and saw that it had the same anxious look on its face as he did.

"Well….here goes Pikachu!" he said as he opened the message and began to read its contents.

 **From: Luckygirl**

 **Don't worry, I forgive you. *hugs you* I'm just glad you're back, I've missed you so much.**

 **Honestly, after taking some time to think about it…..I don't even think meeting you could have helped save my job.**

 **I mean….it's not that I don't think you could have helped but….my job is so far gone…..I don't think there's any way to save it and maybe….I just need to accept that.**

 **I'm just….scared. Scared of what's going to happen next because I don't know what's going to happen and I hate that feeling.**

 **Look, even though we couldn't meet in person, can do you me a favor? Can you please just…..believe in me? Just…keep talking to me like you always do because….no matter what I face…..it keeps me strong.**

 **Thank you for everything and I'll talk to you tomorrow.**

 **Goodnight sweetie.**

Red's eyes were fixated on the last part of that message. "You want me to…..believe in you…." he muttered to himself. Now that he knew who sending these messages, that line held so much more meaning.

" _Trust me…..I want to believe in you…._ " he thought to himself before turning away and sighing, " _The question is….could you ever believe in me?"_

That thought continued to encompass Red's mind as he shut down his computer and left the room without saying a word.

Sensing that something was wrong Pikachu called out to its trainer, but Red just kept walking down the hallway and didn't stop until he got to the front door.

He then grabbed his jacket, walked outside and took a seat on his front steps.

Pikachu quickly followed suit as it ran outside and leapt onto its trainer's lap. "Pika?" it asked in a concerned tone.

Seeing the concern in its eyes, Red looked down at the electrical pokemon and smiled. "It's okay buddy…" he reassured the tiny pokemon, petting its head as he did.

Pikachu smiled back and nestled its head into its trainer's lap as Red returned to his thoughts.

It was so surreal. Now that he knew who was on the other end of his conversations, Red could literally picture Leaf sitting there, writing her messages to him. He wanted to believe in her, he wanted to help her, but…how?

" _There's got to be something I can do to help her!_ " he stressfully thought to himself, " _I can't….just let her go through this alone…._ "

That in mind, Red looked up at the stars. The past few days had been such an emotional roller coaster for him with everything that had happened. However, despite all these new revelations, Red felt that he had come to terms with them. He accepted the true identity of his anonymous friend and was determined to find…someway to help her out.

Only two questions remained: Could he ever reveal his identity to her and would she ever accept him for who he was? Red didn't know.

However, there was one thing he was sure of and before he stood up to walk back into the house, he made sure to address it. Taking one last look into the starry sky, Red smiled and whispered.

"Good night….Leaf."

* * *

 **Hello Ladies and Gentleman!**

 **Wow...I never thought I'd ever write a longer than Chapter 4 and yet...here it is! Granted, it is an important chapter so it does have an excuse for being so long and considering that I already split this chapter up once, I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for the full thing. That being said, I do apologize to my readers who prefer the shorter chapters, but this just had to be.**

 **That being said, we are over half way done this story and I hope you guys are still enjoying it. As always all your reviews are always much appreciated and I'll see everyone in chapter 9!**

 ***Update* Just a small update, chapter 9 will probably take a bit longer than usual. I'm working on a small side project right now and it'll delay it for a bit. I apologize for the wait but I'll try to get it done as soon as possible.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Winds of Change

**Hello Everyone!**

 **I know! I know! I'm 3 months late of the usual deadline when it comes to updates for this story, but like I mentioned in the last chapter, I took a break to write a small side project (which took me a lot longer to write than I initially planned btw!) and it really held up this story. But, it's done now and if you haven't read it yet and you're interested, it's on my profile.**

 **That being said, I'm back and I hope you enjoy chapter 9!**

* * *

Chapter 9: The Winds of Change

About a week had passed since the events that took place at the Dubonney Café and during that time, Red found himself constantly racking his brain, trying to think of some way he could assist his anonymous online friend with her problems.

No….he could no longer refer to her as "anonymous". She was Leaf Green, the owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre and unfortunately, lead competition to his Pokemon Centre.

Due to that fact, he decided that instead of trying to help her directly; it would be best to help her indirectly and avoid any potential fallout that could arise because of his true identity.

So in the end, his plan was simple: Red would secretly help Leaf pay off all the expenses she had at her daycare and maybe…..just maybe if she ever found out he was the one who helped her, she would finally see him for who he truly was.

That was his hope at least. An almost childish plan to be sure, but it was the only way Red could think of telling her how he felt without actually " _telling her_ ".

As such, Red presently found himself standing in front of the giant iron doors of the local Pokebank ready to put his plan into action.

"Well! Here we are Pikachu!" he happily exclaimed while glancing over at the small yellow pokemon perched on his shoulder. "You ready to do this?!"

Ecstatic, Pikachu happily raised its fist in the air. "Pika!" it cheered as they entered the bank.

It was time, they were gonna do it and nothing could stop them from fulfilling their plan…..or so they thought.

* * *

No sooner did they walk inside and Red's "flawless plan" suddenly took a turn for the worse.

"What do you mean you won't take my money?!" he angrily yelled at one of the bank tellers.

Despite his yelling, the clerk stood his ground, completely unfazed. "I'm sorry sir, but those are the rules!" he sternly argued back.

"What rules?!"

"The rules that Ms. Green agreed to when she took ownership of this daycare." the clerk explained as he shoved a piece of paper in front of Red's face, "Rules that state that she personally must accept all of the daycare's responsibilities; no outside assistance allowed!"

Red snatched the paper for himself and looked it over. There was no denying that Leaf signed this document and gritted his teeth knowing there was nothing he could do about it.

"Oh, and if you ARE going to see Ms. Green, can you please remind her that she's once again late on her payments and her daycare will be confiscated if she doesn't pay us soon!"

Red glanced up from the paper. He had no idea just how bad things were for Leaf and began wondering if she had even bothered reading any of these forms before she signed them. "Alright….how much does she owe you?" he asked, hoping there was some other way around this.

The clerk then took out a calculator and started rapidly tapping away on it. "For all of her late payments on the daycare….50 000 pokedollars." he stated causing a small smile to form on Red's face.

"Okay! I'll see to it that she raises that!"

"However…..add to that: interest, medical charges, etc.….and it comes out to around 800 000 pokedollars."

" _800 000 pokedollars?!"_

That was a lot of money even for him and Red could feel his heart sink as he muttered under his breath. "She'll never be able to make that…"

Despite Red's attempt to remain quiet, his voice must have been loud enough for the clerk to hear him because a devious smirk suddenly formed on his face. "She will when she sells her daycare!" he smugly replied.

More upset than ever, Red was about to give this guy a piece of his mind when he noticed a sudden flash of light out of the corner of his eye. "PIIIIKKKKAAAA!" he could hear his yellow partner growl and upon looking over, saw that Pikachu had sparks flying from its cheeks, ready to attack.

"Easy Pikachu….." he said, raising his hand in an attempt to calm it down. "We'll just have to find another way….that's all..."

"Good! I'm glad we got that figured out!" the clerk sarcastically cheered causing Red to glare at him, "Is there anything else I can help you with sir?"

Red didn't even grace him with a response. He just turned and walked out the door, frustrated at what just occurred.

All that planning over the past week and it all amounted to nothing.

* * *

As the two exited the bank, Pikachu remained perched atop Red's shoulder, still growling as they began walking down the street.

"I know….I didn't like that banker either." he agreed, trying his best to calm his partner down, "The question is…..what do we do now?"

Continuing their walk down the streets of Saffron, Red and Pikachu smiled as they found themselves passing through familiar territory.

"Hey! Check it out Pikachu!" Red exclaimed, pointing at his Pokemon Centre as they walked by, "Look at all the customers we have today!"

However, no sooner did he say that and Red stopped dead in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder as he did. It was true; customers were practically lined up out the door at his Pokemon Centre….and that only made him ponder.

"I wonder how… ** _she_** is doing?"

Curious, Red continued to walk further down the block to the very place he once called his competition; the Sunflora Daycare Centre.

* * *

It had been a while since he had last been here and compared to back then, the atmosphere was definitely a lot…quieter now. Very few people were walking at this end of the street and even less were stopping for even a passing glance at the daycare.

As they approached, Pikachu suddenly jumped off Red's shoulder and ran over the front door.

"Hey Pikachu!" he cried out as he quickly ran after the tiny pokemon and upon catching up to it, paused as he looked through the window.

Inside, the daycare was completely empty; no customers or pokemon or….anyone for that matter in sight…..save for one person. Standing at the front counter was the girl who had been the focal point of all his thoughts this past week: Leaf Green.

He watched as she just stood there with a sad look on her face…..waiting….waiting for customers that she probably knew in her heart weren't going to be coming.

"Leaf…." Red whispered and as he continued to stare at her, a strange tingly feeling began to form in his stomach.

This was the first time he'd actually seen her since " _that_ " night and even though she had forgiven his online persona, her messaging had grown noticeably less frequent since that day. It had gotten to the point that Red hadn't even heard from her at all the past few days and it was clear that the daycare probably had something to do with it.

Completely lost in thought, Red was brought back to reality by Pikachu tugging on his pants. "Pika….Pi…." it muttered pointing up at the door.

Red glanced over at the door in question and instinctively found himself grabbing the doorknob. He didn't care what her reaction would be; if Leaf's bank wasn't going to take his money, he would just run in there and give it to her himself.

A wave of excitement began to overtake his mind as he began to fantasize about how she would respond to his kindness. For the first time since they met, Red would get to see that beautiful smile of hers again. Finally, she would understand who he truly was and how he felt about her.

The smile on Red's face was growing by the second as he then envisioned sweeping her off her feet. No longer would they be restricted by PC's and false personas; they could be together.

Truly…they could be…together.

At least….that was the scenario Red wanted to believe would happen, but as he began to turn the doorknob, the true reality of the situation began to crash down on him, dashing whatever sense of fantasy he had.

Truth be told, if Red really did walk into that daycare right now and presented her with a sum of money, he figured Leaf would probably just scoff at his sudden change in heart and tell him to. " **Take his money and shove it!** " After all, he was the reason why she was in this state right now and even if she did accept his money, it wouldn't solve the fact that the daycare wasn't seeing enough customers to keep her going.

While things might be good for a bit, it wouldn't be long before her funds would run dry and they would be back to square one again.

What would happen then? Would Red continue to give her money? He had his own business and employees to worry about. He couldn't afford to run his Pokemon Centre and keep Leaf in business at the same, it was impossible.

"Impossible….." he muttered, biting his lip as he let go of the doorknob and slowly backed away.

Confused, Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. "Pika….Pi?" it asked as Red tipped his hat over his eyes and turned around. Even if he didn't want to admit it, there was no plan Red could think of that wouldn't end in failure.

"She's….in the hands of fate now Pikachu…." he cryptically whispered to his yellow partner, "There's….nothing we can do to change that…"

With that, he began to slowly walk down the road with his head hung low. He had failed her…..and he had no one to blame but himself.

* * *

As time passed, things continued to look bleak for the Sunflora Daycare Centre. No matter how hard she tried, Leaf just couldn't keep up with the daycare's expenses and while the odd customer would show up from time to time, the amount she made off them was nowhere near sufficient.

With funds dropping and expenses continuing to pile up one after another…..a decision needed to be made and it needed to be made soon. So, it came to be that on a warm winters day, Leaf reluctantly called for both Cynthia and Lyra to come to the daycare to discuss…..their future.

"…..and that's where we stand right now….." she finished explaining to her friends and watched as they both lowered their heads in response.

No matter how obvious it was that the daycare was struggling, the news was not easy for either of the girls to take.

"Things…aren't looking too good…..huh Leaf?" Lyra sighed as Leaf nodded in response.

Cynthia sighed as well. Since nobody wanted to ask the question that was on all of their minds right now, she decided to take on the responsibility herself.

"So….what's your plan Leaf?"

Leaf's eyes darted between her two friends. This was the reason why she'd called them here in the first place, but no matter how prepared she was, it was still hard for her to say. "I've decided…." she paused, struggling to speak the words that were about to come out of her mouth, "I've decided to…fold…"

With that, a long silence followed. Between the bank constantly hassling them for money and little to no customers coming in, it was clear that the daycare wasn't going to survive much longer.

Never the less, hearing Leaf; the person who had fought so hard to keep the daycare intact admit defeat, was a hard pill to swallow and after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Leaf finally spoke up.

"I….I know…..it wasn't an easy decision for me to make….." she attempted to explain the best she could, "….and….I know it's going to be hard, especially for you Lyra."

Lyra bit her lip as Leaf walked over to her. "You've been helping me here ever since my mother passed away and….I wanted it to last forever….." she admitted as she placed both of her hands on her friend's shoulders, "Lyra…..if….if there's anything I can do help you find another job, believe me, I will!"

Seeing the genuine concern in Leaf's eyes, Lyra did her best to force the best smile she could for her. "It's okay Leaf…..even if I didn't want to admit it….I….I knew this would happen eventually." she reassured her brunette haired friend, "I've been actually looking into some other jobs lately and might have a few lined up."

Leaf stared at her friend in shock. A few months ago, Lyra would have lost her mind if she told her this, but it seemed like now she'd accepted it.

"D-don't worry! I'll….I'll be okay I promise!"

Still in shock, Leaf gave her a reassuring nod and walked over to the older blond haired trainer standing in another corner of the daycare. "What about you Cynthia? What will you do now?"

Cynthia stared at her brunette haired friend before giving her a hollow chuckle. "Oh…I'm already retired Leaf…." she admitted while shrugging slightly, "I guess….this means I can fully enjoy it now…."

Just like with Lyra, Leaf gave the elderly trainer a quick nod before lowering her head and walking away.

"Leaf!" Cynthia called out causing her to quickly turn around, "Never mind about us….what will you do now?"

"M-me?" Leaf stammered in response, "Oh…w-well…I…uh…I have some money saved up so that'll keep me going for a little while at least."

Cynthia watched with concern as she nervously began to play with her hair. Whatever her plan was, Leaf clearly wasn't sure of it.

"A-and….umm….Blue's been wanting to move away from here for so long so….I'll probably be going with him…"

"WHAT?!" Lyra immediately yelled out, "You can't just leave us Leaf!"

Not knowing how to respond, Leaf simply lowered head. Even if it wasn't what she wanted, it was the only option she had left.

"Lyra it's her decision and you have to respect that," Cynthia noted as Lyra lowered her head as well.

"But…you're my best friend…" she whimpered, "I…I… don't want you to go…."

Leaf watched Lyra's eyes began to gloss over and felt absolutely horrible. "I'm sorry Lyra…." she whispered to her pigtailed friend, "I know….I've failed you….both of you."

"No Leaf….you did everything you could and I don't regret standing by you for a second!" Cynthia quickly chimed in as she placed a hand on her shoulder, "Through it all, you were the beautiful star that guided us…..right to the end."

"Thank you, Cynthia." Leaf muttered before glancing away, "But you know as well as I do…..no matter how bright a star shines….. they all burn out eventually….."

Once again, silence enveloped the room when suddenly, despite trying so hard to hold it in, a stray tear escaped from Leaf's eye. "I'm….sorry….I'm so sorry….." she pleaded as more began to fall down her cheeks.

Unable to watch any longer, Lyra lunged forward and tightly embraced her friend. "It's okay Leaf…..I'm….I'm going to miss it too…" she said as she began to sob uncontrollably as well.

Seeing the state her two friends were in, Cynthia didn't know how to proceed. Normally, whenever they got into a situation like this she would always be their voice of reason. This was the first time she was at a loss of what to do.

"Girls….I…..I…"

With no words left to say and tears now streaming down her eyes too, Cynthia quickly embraced her two friends as well and for the next few minutes, the three of them just stood there hugging and crying in each others arms. No matter how hard they fought, no matter how hard they tried to make a difference, the result…..wouldn't change.

The daycare had to close…..

* * *

As such, the next few days were filled with many tears being shed by both the daycare's employees and customers alike. While some came to take advantage of the special deals Leaf had on, most just came to share their sentiments. Many had been coming to the daycare for decades and some even offered to personally tear down Red's Pokemon Centre if it meant keeping The Sunflora Daycare Centre in business.

It definitely a sombre mood for all involved…..except for Leaf that was.

It was strange, throughout the whole ordeal, she was somehow able to maintain a constant smile no matter how many tears were shed in front of her. Maybe it was because she had so much going on right now that she didn't have time to let the fact that her daycare was closing sink in and for the first few days, life went on as usual.

It wasn't until the days and weeks passed by and the shelf's became more and more barren that it was becoming increasingly evident that…..the end was drawing near.

Before long, the day of closing was upon them and despite Lyra and Cynthia wanting to be there with her, Leaf felt this was something she had to do alone.

It wasn't like there was very much to go to anyway. Most of the items that had made the Sunflora Daycare Centre what it was were now either sold or in storage and the only things left were a few boxes of stuff that didn't manage to sell.

As quick as she could, Leaf ran around the daycare gathering any loose belongings of hers and placing them in the boxes as well before stopping and looking around. What was once a bright and cheery environment was now an empty shell of its former self and it broke Leaf's heart to see it in such a state.

With her feet feeling like they weighed a ton, Leaf slowly began to take one last walk around: looking at the empty shelf's that once contained her medicines, sliding her hand over the railing of a pen that used to house all the sick pokemon she treated before finally making her way back to the front of the daycare.

" _How….._ " she thought as she slowly scanned the area one last time, " _How did I let it come to this?_ "

As she stood there staring at the empty space, memories suddenly began to flow into Leaf's mind.

* * *

"Careful Leaf!" she recalled her mother saying to her as she tended to her first pokemon, "You have to be gentle!"

"I know! I know!" her younger self apologized, "Sorry Eevee…. please try to relax….we only want to help you…."

Despite Leaf's attempts, the tiny pokemon wouldn't calm down and faced with no other alternative, Leaf's mother decided to step in.

"Here, give it to me."

Without hesitation, Leaf passed the frightened pokemon over to her mother who began to slowly stroke its fur. "It's okay….you can trust us….." she whispered as she offered the tiny pokemon a berry.

Like magic, the Eevee instantly calmed down and Leaf watched in awe as her mother turned to her and said, "Remember honey you can't be too hasty when it comes to treating pokemon. You have to treat them the way you'd want to be treated."

"I know bu-"

"I need you to learn this because I'm not always going to be around to show you." her mother added as Leaf shyly looked down at her feet.

"Do...you really think I'll be able to run it one day?" she asked and watched as her mother gave her the biggest smile she'd ever seen.

"Of course I do!" she happily reassured her daughter "Because...I believe in you…..."

* * *

Leaf slowly wiped her eyes as the memory faded from her mind. Even though the legacy her mother had left her was gone, Leaf made a promise to not cry over it. Selling the daycare was the only choice she had and no matter how hard it was, she had to keep strong through it all.

With a heavy heart, Leaf turned and exited the daycare. For the final time, she took the keys from her pocket and locked the door to the place she loved, knowing that after today she would never be coming back to it ever again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you…." she muttered as she took a step back and stared longingly at her former place of employment. It looked so dark and soulless, gutted of everything that made it special and knowing how the city of Saffron worked, Leaf figured it wouldn't be long before the daycare was turned into something commercial like a Pokemart or Department store.

Regardless of what it became, one thing was for sure: It would never be as special as it once was.

Continuing to stare at the empty daycare, Leaf was suddenly brought back to reality by the loud buzzing of her phone and upon pulling it out of her pocket, saw that Blue had messaged her.

" _ **My place! We need to talk!**_ " the message stated and Leaf bit her lip knowing what he probably wanted to talk about.

Ever since they had gotten together, Blue had constantly hounded her to get rid of the daycare and move somewhere else together. Normally, Leaf would have quickly dismissed the idea, but now that the daycare was gone, the idea of moving seemed like the only logical step left for her…...even if she wasn't too thrilled about it.

Knowing she was going to have to eventually discuss this with Blue anyway, Leaf quickly texted back an " _ **Okay.**_ " to him and slowly began to make her way towards his apartment, all the while wondering what the future would have in store for her.

* * *

It didn't take long for Leaf to reach the apartment and as she stood there staring at the hulking structure, Leaf couldn't help but feel almost….intimidated by it. Unlike her quaint little apartment, this one had an air of superiority to it. Giving off a proud/powerful vibe that perfectly reflected the man who dwelled here and as Leaf made her way inside, she could feel her stomach begin to churn.

It was strange, for the life of her; Leaf couldn't understand why she was feeling so nervous right now. Blue was her boyfriend after all, but after all of the dealings with the daycare, Leaf found herself talking to Blue less and less, to the point that it almost felt….foreign going to see him right now.

Regardless of her emotions, Leaf straightened up as she walked down the hall towards his room. Even though losing her daycare had hurt her, she couldn't show that weakness in front of Blue of all people.

Upon reaching his door, Leaf took a deep breath before giving it 3 stern knocks to show that she meant business.

A brief silence followed before a distinct voice yelled out. "Who is it?!"

"It's me Blue!" Leaf happily announced, trying her best to mask her emotions. "I'm here….as you requested."

No sooner did she say that and the door flung open revealing her spikey haired boyfriend standing there with his arms crossed. "…..you're late," he muttered while pointing to his watch.

Leaf turned away in shame. "I know….I'm sorry….." she quickly apologized, "I've…..had a lot on my mind….."

She then looked up to see Blue shaking his head at her, "Whatever…." he simply said as he turned around and walked back inside.

Quickly following suit, Leaf followed Blue into his apartment and quickly noticed that it seemed…..emptier than usual. Pictures that once lined the walls were strangely absent and certain pieces of furniture were missing as well. Despite her curiosity, Leaf decided to keep her mouth shut as they entered the dining room.

" _Maybe Blue's renovating?_ " she thought as they both took a seat across from one another.

A few seconds of silence followed and Leaf found herself anxiously shifting in her seat as she waited to find out what Blue wanted to talk about.

"So….are you going to tell me what's been going on lately?" he sternly asked as Leaf nervously glanced away.

"W-what are you talking abo-"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Blue quickly snapped back, "What's this I hear about you wasting all your money trying to salvage that stupid daycare of yours?!"

Leaf could feel her body start to shake, this was the exact reason why she never told Blue about any of her past ideas; he would have told her they were nothing but a waste of time.

Still, despite not being very good at yelling, Leaf wasn't about to back down from what she believed in. "It wasn't a waste Blue!" she proudly proclaimed with her head held high, "I loved that daycare and everything I did these past few months, I did because I sincerely believed I could save it!"

"…..and just look where that line of thinking got you!"

Leaf sighed as those words hit her like a ton of bricks. "Yeah….I know….and you were right when you said it was a hopeless effort…." she admitted as she closed her eyes and clutched her hand over her heart, "But I still don't regret what I did for a second!"

Blue's stern expression didn't change as Leaf continued her speech. "Yes I made a few mistakes, but I've learned from them and my resolve now is stronger than ever!" she exclaimed, forcing the best smile she could, "Just think, with the daycare gone the possibilities are endless for us! I could open another daycare in another region and we'll-"

Leaf's rant was cut off as she heard a distinct chuckle come from Blue's mouth. "YOU'RE going to run another daycare?" he mused as he shook his head.

A look of pure confusion formed on Leaf's face, "Yes! Of course, I am!" she stated, wondering what else he expected her to do.

No sooner did she say that and Blue loudly slammed his fist on the table. "Leaf that's a damn lie and you know it!" he exclaimed, causing her to jump, "You know damn well after this whole fiasco you don't have enough money to own another daycare and even if you did…..you'd probably screw it up again anyway!"

A loud screeching sound then enveloped Leaf's ears as Blue suddenly stood up from his chair. "….and don't you dare think to include me in this little delusional fantasy you have!" he stated as he began walking over to her, "Since the day we first met I've always told you that daycare was worthless and every time I did, I was the wrong one! I was the bad guy for stating the obvious!"

Before Leaf had a chance to respond, Blue suddenly got right up in her face and began flailing his arms wildly. "Oh! But now that everything's gone to hell it's all: Oh! Save me Blue! Give me the money I need and take me away so that everything will be sunshine and rainbows again!" he jokingly acted out before staring her dead in the eye and stating, "Leaf do you have any idea how many promotions I've given up? How many days I've wasted working a second rate job in this stupid city? All because my stupid girlfriend wouldn't let a worthless piece of her past go?!"

"B-Blu-"

"NO YOU CLEARLY DON'T!" he yelled. "You don't even give a damn about my life and I am so sick and tired of waiting for you!"

In that moment, Leaf froze. She could feel her heart start to beat faster as a fear began to set in "W-what….what are you talking about?!" she panicked, desperately trying to calm him down, "Blue the daycare's gone! We can go wherever we want! Nothing's holding us back anymore!"

She then watched as Blue turned away and muttered under his breath. "Oh…..believe me Leaf, there's something holding me back right now…..not in work, but in life…." he stated as he looked down on her, "…..and I'm staring right at her."

"B-blue!"

"Ever since we've been together that's all you've ever been good for and I'm done with you holding me back!" he stated, his voice growing louder with each word he said, "I'm done with this city! I'm done with this sham of a relationship and I AM SURE AS HELL DONE WITH SAVING YOUR SORRY ASS!"

"B-blue….please…" Leaf whimpered, her whole body completely shaking in fear, "Please don't do this to me….not tonight….."

I'm leaving this city Leaf! Tomorrow I'm moving on with my life and you can just stay here and rot for all I care!" he exclaimed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key she had given him, "A worthless failure like you wasn't worth my time back then and you're definitely not worth my time now!"

Leaf could feel the cold chill of the key as it was placed in her hand. It felt like it weighed a ton and as she stood there staring at it, Leaf felt like she was going to throw up right on the spot. It was gone….every plan she had...was gone and upon looking up, Leaf saw the cold, relentless eyes of her former boyfriend staring down at her.

Tightly clutching the key in her hand, Leaf fought to hold back tears. After everything he had just said to her, she wasn't about to let Blue have the satisfaction of seeing her cry…so she ran. Ran out the door, ran down the hallway, ran down the stairwell and even after she left the building, Leaf just kept on running.

"Hey! Watch it!" she heard people scream as she unintentionally bumped into them on the street, but Leaf didn't care. Right now, her mind was such a mess that she didn't even know where she was going; she just kept running and running until….she could run no more.

Finally coming to a stop, Leaf leaned up against the side of a building, clutching her chest as she panted heavily.

" _Why….._ " she wondered as she tried to catch her breath, " _Why is this happening to me?!_ "

Slowly, she lifted her head and scanned the area, trying figure out where exactly she was and while the area seemed unfamiliar at first, something caught her eye.

"Hey, that's…"

Not too far ahead was brightly lit building with a giant pokeball rotating on top of it. A building she knew….all too well.

"It's the…..Pokemon….Centre….."

Then, like her feet were on autopilot, Leaf found herself slowly making way towards the place that she once called her competition. Whether it was due to curiosity or just the fact that she had nowhere else to go, Leaf couldn't help but feel...drawn to it.

* * *

Despite being late, Red's Pokemon Centre was still bustling with activity. Customers were constantly walking in and out as Leaf stood in front of the building, staring at it in awe.

"Wow….he…was even open later than me…." she harshly chastised herself, "It's no wonder why I failed….."

After watching what must have been the 50th customer walk through the sliding glass doors of the centre, Leaf couldn't help but feel curious. What was so special about this place? What made it better than her daycare? These were the questions that encompassed her mind she took a step forward. Soon, one step lead to another, then another and another until she was close enough that the glass doors slid open in front of her.

" _I can't believe I'm…..doing this…._ " Leaf thought to herself as she took a step inside. She needed to see it for herself….she NEEDED to know what this place had that she didn't.

Upon entering, Leaf's eyes were met with a huge circular foyer that branched off in every direction possible. It was strange, even though she had been competing with this place for a while, Leaf had never actually seen what it looked like inside and was subtly impressed by it.

On top of the desk where people left their pokemon to be healed, the centre also had its own pokemart, café, trade depot, and even its own clothing store.

More than that, Leaf noticed something as she looked around. Whether they were getting their pokemon healed, buying items or just simply talking to one another, everyone appeared to have a smile on their face. They were happy, and Leaf couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

"Excuse me miss?" a voice suddenly called out and Leaf quickly looked over to see one of the centre's employees standing next to her, "Welcome to Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre! Is there something I can help you find?"

"Uhh…no…I'm….I'm fine….." she stammered, still in shock at where she was right now.

"Oh okay!" he kindly replied before handing her a flyer, "Just letting you know we're having a special this week on all potions if you're interested."

Not wanting to seem rude, Leaf politely took one of his flyers. "T-thank you," she said as he turned around to help another customer.

Continuing her walk through the main foyer, Leaf suddenly spotted a bunch of signs that pointed off to specific areas of the Pokemon Centre. Pretty much anything you could ever want was at a certain part of it, but there was one sign in particular that really caught her attention.

" **Pokemon Daycare This Way** "

Leaf took a minute to read the sign to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

" _Pokemon…daycare?_ "

More curious than ever, Leaf followed the sign's direction until she found herself in a more homey section of the centre with walls all flush with warm, happy colours.

* * *

Upon entering the area, the first thing Leaf took notice of, aside from the huge desk that people were leaving their pokemon at, was a huge play pen off to the side where a bunch of recovering pokemon were happily playing with one another.

Staring at the scene before her, Leaf couldn't help but reminisce. She always loved it when pokemon would stay overnight at her daycare and it had felt like such a long time since that was the case.

Continuing her observation, a slight smile formed on Leaf's mouth as she watched all the pokemon perk up when a Nurse Joy brought them some food and waited until she left before slowly making her way over to them.

"Hi there…." Leaf whispered as she knelt down beside the pen.

Like clockwork, all the pokemon looked up and curiously began walking over to her.

In turn, Leaf stuck her hand through the bars of the pen as far as she could towards them. "It's okay…." she reassured them, recalling her mother's words, "You can trust me….."

While all the pokemon still appeared cautious, one curious young Growlithe began to slowly make its way forward. It paused just shy of Leaf's hand before gently touching its head against her skin, which she began to scratch in return.

"There…how does that feel?"

"Growl!" it happily replied and all too soon, all the pokemon came running over to her.

It was strange, although Leaf was smiling the entire time she was petting them, her eyes told a completely different story.

Perhaps it was due to their animalistic intuition, but the pokemon quickly began to notice how sad she was as well and what started as Leaf comforting them, soon turned into the pokemon attempting to comfort her instead.

Before long, Leaf felt the vines of a young Bulbasaur wrap around her hand and struggling to fight back tears, she took her other hand and placed it on top, holding it tight as she did. This was the reason Leaf loved her job so much. Making pokemon happy was all she ever wanted to do and now….

"Excuse me nurse?" she heard someone call out and upon turning around, saw a young trainer with an Eevee talking to one of the Nurse Joy's. "My Eevee's been having trouble keeping its food down lately. Do you have anything that would be easy on its stomach?"

"Of course!" The Nurse Joy happily replied as she began typing away on her PC. "Can you just give me a minute and I'll look it up for you."

"Chilan berries..." Leaf suddenly spoke up without even thinking, "The texture's easy on their stomach and normal types really like them!"

The Nurse Joy stared at Leaf in awe. She couldn't believe how fast she was able to answer such a question. "Oh, thank you very much miss!" she graciously stated before turning her attention back to the customer, "I think we have a few in the back, just give me a second!"

"W-wait!" Leaf frantically yelled out as she sprang up to her feet and ran over to the counter, "Actually if you mix some Oran berries with it, it'll add some flavor that Eevee will really enjoy!"

"O-okay…." The customer replied, visibly a little shaken at Leaf's sudden outburst.

Noticing all the odd looks she was getting, Leaf covered her mouth and looked away, embarrassed at her actions. "I-I'm sorry!" she apologized as tears began to slowly fall down her eyes, "I-it's j-just… that…they…..really…really…..lov….."

Then it all hit her. The fact that her daycare was gone forever, the fact that she may never see her friends again, the fact that Blue had broken up with her and was never coming back, it all crashed down on her at once.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Leaf fell to her knees and began sobbing so loudly that it caused the Nurse Joy to quickly jump over the counter and run over to her side in a panic.

"Miss? Miss?! What's wrong?!" she asked while placing a hand on Leaf's shoulder to try to comfort her.

"I…I…screwed it up! I-I screwed it all up!" Leaf choked as tears streamed from her eyes, "I'm an idiot! I-I ruined everything! It's….my fault w-why my daycare's…"

"Oh my goodness….can I get some tissues over here please!" the nurse yelled to one of her assistants as she bent down to Leaf's level, "Miss….it's okay….everything's going to be alright…please calm down….."

"N-no….no it's not going to be alright….." she tried her best to say, "It's….it's…gone…it's all gone!"

* * *

Her wails echoed through the walls of the Pokemon Centre's daycare and it wasn't long before they reached the ears of a familiar red-capped individual walking a floor above it.

Curious, Red stopped, wondering what all the commotion was about, while his yellow-capped assistant continued walking forward; completely oblivious to what was going on.

"So this guy's like: I'll give you 15 pokedollars for it and I'm like: Come on! 15 pokedollars doesn't even buy me a pair of shoes!" Ethan proceeded to prattle on before noticing that Red was no longer walking beside him.

"Red?" he asked and upon turning around saw that his boss was staring over the railing, still as a statue.

"Hey Red!" he called out as he quickly ran up beside him, curious as to what had his boss so….captivated. "Hey! If you're going to stare at hot chicks from up here at least invite me too!"

Red didn't even acknowledge Ethan's joke, his eyes were fixated on what was happening below them.

"…Ethan…look…"

More curious than ever, Ethan leaned over the banister as well and what he saw caused his eyes to widen just as much as Red's.

Directly below them was a girl sobbing uncontrollably with about 10 or so Nurse Joys trying their best to calm her down and it didn't take Ethan long to figure out who it was.

"T-that's…."

He froze, there was no doubt that it was indeed the owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre herself and upon remembering the events that occurred between this girl and his boss in the past, Ethan hesitated to even say her name to him.

"Is it true that her daycare…closed today?"

Still refusing to peel his eyes away from the sight before him, Red gave his yellow-capped assistant a quick nod.

How could he have let this happen? This was the same girl that was so happy and energetic when they first met, the girl he happily talked to online every day and admired more than anything in the world. Now here she was, in complete and utter despair….all because of him.

"Oh….Leaf….." he unintentionally muttered out loud, "What have I done to you…."

Despite his best attempts to remain quiet, Ethan heard every word Red just said and quickly glanced over to see him standing there with his eyes glossed over and his lip quivering widely. For Ethan, what started as minor speculation was now blatantly clear to him: This was no simple internet fling Red had with this girl; he really did care about her.

"Hey…..d-do you…..want to go talk to her?" he asked and watched as Red closed his eyes for a few seconds to gather his thoughts.

"…...no." he finally responded.

"N-no?"

Red's breathing intensified as he began rapidly shaking his head. "No! I have to get going! I-I promised Yellow I'd meet her for dinner tonight and…." he trailed off as his eyes glanced over the railing once more, "…and I-I'm already late as is…."

"But Red she's your-"

"I know who she is Ethan!" he quickly snapped back before stressfully running his hand through his hair, "But she and I live in two completely separate worlds! W-we can't…"

Completely distraught and at loss of words, Red quickly turned his back on his yellow-capped friend. "…I have to go now! Okay?! Good-bye!" he sternly declared.

Ethan sighed as he watched him walk away before finally asking the question he had been suspicious of for a while now. "You're in love with her…." he flat out exclaimed, "Aren't you?"

His words must have hit their mark because no sooner did he say that and Red stopped dead in his tracks.

"It's funny….when you first told me about your online relationship with this girl, I…really didn't think anything of it." he admitted, turning away as he did, "But…ever since you've found out who she was…..you've changed…"

Despite the truthfulness of his words, Red still refused to answer and the more silent he kept, the more Ethan began to piece things together. "It bothers you…..doesn't it?" he inquired, watching Red lower his head as he did, "Everything that's been happening to her….you feel responsible and it's tearing you apart…."

Now it was clear that Ethan's words were having an effect. Red's entire body was practically shaking as he ran in front of him and pointed to the sobbing brunette haired girl a floor below them. "Red…she's right there! If you really love her that much….then just go be with her!" he practically yelled at him, "For god sakes! If there's anytime she needs you most; it's now!"

That said, Ethan struggled to catch his breath, even he was surprised just how passionate he had just got and finally, with his head hung low, Red muttered a response back. "….you think I don't know that…." he asked, his voice growing louder with every word he said, "You think I like seeing her cry, not 5 feet away from me and not be able to do anything about it?!"

That said, Red turned and sighed as he looked over the railing once again. "Ethan I want to! But if I go down there, right now and tell her the truth…what do you think she's going to say to me?!" he stated before quickly answering his own question, "She's going to say: You selfish bastard! You knew all this time and you just sat and watched it happen?!"

"….and you know what? She's right! I brought her to this state!" he exclaimed, pointing at himself as he did, "I'm the reason her daycare went under and I'm the reason why she's down there crying her eyes out right now! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

"Red…."

"Ethan…..I don't deserve to even look at her right now; let alone...love her….."

With tears rolling down his eyes, Red shook his head and turned away. "Look….I really gotta go….okay?"

"Red… can you just…answer me one question…." Ethan said as he watched his boss walk away, "Do you…..really love her?"

Red lowered his head and sighed deeply. "That's…..a question I can't….truly give you an answer to right now Ethan….." he cryptically stated as he tipped his hat over his eyes, "Sorry…."

With that, Red walked away. However, even though he was in a rush to get home, he found himself walking much slower than usual down the streets of Saffron. Right now his mind was a complete mess and deep down he knew that he couldn't keep going on like this.

Sooner or later, he was going to have to make a choice…..

* * *

"Okay buddy eat up!" he told his electrical partner as he placed a bowl of food on the ground, "I'll be home in a little while."

Pikachu watched as Red then stormed out of the kitchen, struggling to put his coat as he did. However, just as he was making his way down the hall, Red stopped as he passed by the computer room and lowered his head.

Despite trying his best to think otherwise, the image of Leaf crying was practically burned into his mind and even though he was nowhere near the Pokemon Centre right now, he could still hear her wails of sorrow echoing throughout his head.

It truly was tearing him apart and noticing that something was wrong; Pikachu ran over and tugged his pants out of concern. "Pika?" it asked, wondering what was wrong.

Then, without warning, Red suddenly turned and walked right into the computer room, hastily turning his PC on as he did.

"I can't…just stand here and do nothing!" he stated as he logged into his e-mail account, "I need to at least say SOMETHING to comfort her!"

As Red began to think about the type of message he wanted to write, he was welcomed to his account but something that completely caught him off-guard.

*You have 1 new message*

" _What?_ " Red thought as he stared at the prompt, " _Did she just send this to me?_ "

It had been days since he had last heard from Leaf and felt a sense of relief as he saw her reply. However, as he began to move the mouse, Red's stomach began to churn inside-out. If she did JUST write this to him…..what manner of words was she going to say?

Well….Red was about to find out.

 **From: Luckygirl**

 **Sorry for not keeping in contact recently…there's been a lot going on in my life right or at least there was…**

 **Question, do you think change is a good thing?**

 **I only ask because it's something I've always been told throughout my life and yet I've never really believed it. Personally, I think change is nothing more than something you don't want to happen, happening and there's nothing you can do about it.**

 **I only say this because…..the daycare I owned….closed today. I know we swore to secrecy with each other but…I once owned a daycare. It was the greatest place in the world and soon it'll probably be turned into nothing more than another common Pokemart.**

 **Soon it'll be nothing more than a distant memory, victim, to the unstoppable force that is change.**

All of a sudden, Red could pinpoint the exact moment where Leaf's writing turned from her usual style of messaging into pure, raw emotion.

 **I know….I should just accept it. I should just accept that what happened has happened and there's nothing I can do to change that…..but I can't!**

 **Everything I've loved! Everything I've worked so hard to build is gone in the blink of an eye and it's never coming back!**

 **The truth is…..I'm heartbroken. A part of me has died…..my mother's legacy has died and there's nothing anyone can say or do to fix it!**

As bad as that was for Red to read, it was what was written after that really made it hard for him.

 **Look, I know this is going to sound like I'm typing without thinking but….. would you like to try meeting again?**

 **I know what happened last time and whether you say yes or no, just PLEASE be honest with me! Cause I feel so lost right now! I have no idea where I'm going to go or what I'm going to do and you're the only thing that's keeping me going right now…**

 **Please….help me...  
**

No sooner did Red finish reading what was written and he buried his face in his head, sighing heavily as he did. It was clear what needed to be done and Red wasn't proud of what he was going to have to do in order to do it.

Tired, he raised his head up and saw his electrical partner staring at him with concern.

"Pika?" it said as Red gave it a smile to reassure that everything was okay.

"I'm sorry for making you worry Pikachu," he said as he slowly petted its head. "I've just had a lot on my mind…."

Letting Red know that everything was okay the tiny pokemon patted his hand as he struggled to say what he wanted to say next. "L-look….tomorrow…things…might be a little different in our life." he explained, turning away as he did, "I just….hope you don't hate me for it….."

Embarrassed, Red closed his eyes waiting for Pikachu's disapproving response but much to his surprise, he instead felt a small tap on the side of his face.

A quick glance to his side and Red saw Pikachu standing on his shoulder with a smile on his face. "Pika! Pika!" it said, letting him know that it understood his dilemma.

"Thanks…." Red said as he wiped his eyes and stood up. "Okay! I'll be back in a bit!"

With that, Red put on his coat and walked out the door. Even though he was still uncertain as to how the events of tonight were going to play out, Red still proceeded to make his way towards the restaurant.

This was something he had to do.

* * *

After walking a few blocks, Red spotted Yellow waiting for him outside the restaurant. She was wearing a long dress the same colour as her namesake and looking…..somewhat lost in thought right now.

"H-Hi Red!" she stammered as he came walking up to her.

"Hey! Sorry, I'm late!" he quickly apologized to her, "Were you waiting here long?"

Much to Red's surprise, Yellow shook her head. "Umm….no….I actually just got here not too long ago myself…."

"Oh….I see…." he muttered in response, nervously glancing away as he did.

Despite trying his best not to show it, Red was doing a horrible job hiding his feelings right now and Yellow was quick to catch on. "Is….something wrong?" she asked as he nervously scratched his head, unsure if he should just flat out tell her right now or not.

"I just….." Red trailed off, no matter how much he wanted to get it off his chest, he just couldn't muster the courage to tell her right now, "I-I'll tell you later okay."

"Okay…."

Red was confused. Even though **HE** had an excuse for his nervous actions, he wasn't sure why Yellow was acting so….out of place.

When they had originally made these plans, she seemed to be quite excited about them going out. Not only that, but he had been talking to her for almost 10 minutes now and not a single mention of any pokemon activist stuff from her.

"Umm…are YOU okay?" he wondered as she shyly turned away from him, "You look….kinda pale."

Red watched as Yellow's eyes began darting from side to side "W-well…there's….something I need to talk to you about too." she admitted while rubbing her arm.

"Oh? Well, we can talk now if you want?"

Yellow quickly shook her head. "N-no!" she stammered as she turned towards the restaurant. "Let's just go in and eat okay?"

On that awkward note, the two made their way into the restaurant and Red could feel his stomach churning inside-out as they sat down. He knew what he had to do, but how? How was he going to break this to her?

* * *

As the night carried on, the two just sat in silence as that sense of awkwardness continued to loom in the air. On top of his own nervousness, Red still couldn't get over how unusually quiet Yellow was being right now. Normally, he'd be bored to death by now from her raving about all the great pokemon activist stuff she'd been doing at work, but that wasn't the case at all.

" _I wonder…what she wants to talk to me about?_ " he thought as a plate of food was placed in front in of him, " _Maybe…she knows what I'm going to say to her already?_ "

"Food's good huh…." Yellow finally spoke up for the first time since they entered the restaurant.

"Yeah…." Red muttered as he placed a piece of food in his mouth, "Sure is…."

Red watched as she twirled her fork around before finally dropping it on her plate, "Red…there's….something I need to tell you…"

" _Oh boy….here we go….."_ he thought as she stared intensely at him. "You were saying that before. What's on your mind?"

Clearly nervous about something, Yellow turned away from him and began playing with her hair. "I….umm….oh how do I say this?" she stammered as she continued twirling her hair with her finger.

Not knowing how long this would take, Red placed another piece of food in his mouth when she suddenly looked over at him and exclaimed. "R-red…I think…..we should…..s-split up…."

With his eyes as wide as they could go, Red nearly choked to death as he heard those words come out of her mouth.

"P-pardon?!"

As fast as she could, Yellow began shaking her head and apologizing profusely. "I know! I know! I'm sorry! It's just I'm…." she trailed off, before finally finding the words she wanted to say, "I'm not….in love with you anymore…."

She then quickly closed her eyes, wincing as she fully expected Red to start yelling at her, but what she heard instead caught her completely by surprise.

"Pftt! PFFT!" she heard him humorously snort and upon looking over at him, saw that he was bent over the table laughing hysterically.

Yellow didn't know what to make of what was happening in front of her and just sat there, staring at Red with a look of complete shock on her face, "D-did I say something funny?" she asked, concerned that she had just broken him.

Finally composing himself, Red began waving his hands to let her know that everything was okay. "No! No! it's just….me neither!" he happily admitted causing a smile to form on Yellow's face as well.

"R-really?!"

"Yeah!"

"B-but I thought we were-"

"I know right?!"

Completely shocked and overcome with happiness, Yellow began laughing uncontrollably as well causing everyone in the entire restaurant to stare at them like they were completely insane.

"Phew! Oh boy! Wow…" Red sighed; wiping tears from his eyes as he once again regained his composure.

"So tell me, what brought this on? Is there…..someone else?" he asked and upon seeing her face turn a tint of crimson, confirmed his suspicions, "There is! Isn't there!"

"M-maybe!" she stammered, still shocked at well he was taking this.

Just then Red recalled the events that occurred a little while ago between them and quickly pieced everything together. "Wait! Don't tell me it's that green-haired guy from the TV?" he asked and slapped his head as he saw her face turn even redder, "Oh my god it is….."

"S-sorry Red! He just….understands me better…." Yellow shyly admitted to him as Red rubbed his chin with intrigue.

"I see…." he muttered to himself, "So? Have you arranged to get together?" he asked as Yellow shook her head in response.

"N-not yet!" she stammered before finally asking the question that she had been curious about for a while now. "W-what about you? Do you…..have somebody else?"

Red glanced down at the floor. While he couldn't deny that fact; said person didn't even know who he was yet or if his feelings would even be reciprocated or not.

"There is….someone….but I'll be honest with you Yellow, I'm not entirely sure about it yet…." he admitted to her, "But she's definitely out there and I….hope she can understand how I feel one day…."

Still unsure, Red bit his lip as he continued to think about his situation before looking up at Yellow and smiling. "Hey, before we go our separate ways, do you mind if we have one last meal together?" he asked as Yellow smiled nodded in response.

"I can do that!" she happily replied.

With that, the two resumed their night together and for the first time in a long time, Red found Yellow really easy to talk to. Perhaps it was only because all the chains that had been weighing them down before were now gone, but they were truly having a great time together.

* * *

Before long, the night passed and both Red and Yellow found themselves standing outside the restaurant for what would be their final goodbye.

"Well….I guess this is it…." Yellow sighed as Red nodded in response.

"Yeah….."

"H-hey Red! Before I go can you promise me something?" she asked as Red chuckled from her eagerness.

"Sure what is it?"

"W-will you promise me that you'll take what I've taught you during our time together into consideration?"

Red sighed, rolling his eyes as he did. "I'm not quitting pokemon battling if that's what you're trying to get at Yellow!" he exclaimed before turning away and admitting, "But….things like what pokemon food is best for Pikachu, I will definitely remember."

"…a-and you promise you'll still read my articles?"

"They come out every month right?"

"Yep! You got it!" she happily replied while clasping her hands together.

For the next few seconds, Red and Yellow just stood in silence, feeling the cold chill of the winds blowing against their faces. They both knew that this night was coming to an end, but didn't know exactly how to end it.

"So….I guess this is goodbye then?" Yellow finally spoke up as Red slowly nodded in response.

"Yeah….good luck out there."

"Thanks, I hope everything works out for you and that person you were talking to me about."

"Yeah….you too." he said as Yellow turned and smiled at him.

He then watched as she reached into her pocket and walked over to him "Goodbye Red." she whispered as she placed a small metal object in his hand.

Looking down, Red sighed as he saw that it was his key he had given to her when they first met. "Goodbye Yellow." he whispered back as he watched her walk away.

* * *

As Yellow's figured disappeared into the distance, Red took a deep breath " _Well….that's that…._ " he thought as he placed his spare key in his pocket and began walking down the road.

Truth be told, despite feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Red was still unsure of his next move. It wasn't like he could just walk up to Leaf and tell her how felt. After all, she was still unaware of his true identity and her reaction to said revelation was the biggest concern of all.

" _If I don't play my cards right this could all come crashing down on me…_." Red thought as he sat down on a nearby bench to collect his thoughts. If only there was someone with experience that could give him some advice on what to do.

Just then Red perked up. "Experience…." he muttered as he pulled his phone out from his pocket and began dialing a number. "I know just the person!"

A few minutes of silence followed before Red spoke up "Hi it's Red." he greeted to the person on the other end, "I'm doing really good thank you….I was wondering, is Lance home right now? There's something I need to talk to him about."

Suddenly, Red's face lit up. "He is? Great! I'm heading there right now!" he happily stated as he hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket.

With a new destination in mind, Red began to make his way to Lance's mansion. If there was someone who could give him the advice he needed, the dragon master was definitely the one and he smiled knowing that things were finally looking up.

 _"The winds of change are blowing, urging me to flow. It's time to start this journey and finally, let it all go. The path may be uncertain and I will have to walk it so. But my heart will find my way to you, no matter where the winds may blow."_

* * *

 **There we go everyone, chapter 8 is done!**

 **Once again I apologize for the wait and I promise that from here on out, this story is the only thing I'm going to be focusing on. We're riding this train (or should I say SHIP) right to the end!**

 **Also, I just want you guys to know that this'll probably be the last of the REALLY long chapters (I'm talking 10 000+ words) from here on out for….reasons you'll see in the next chapter!**

 **But…..then again who knows ;)**

 **Other than that, I just want to thank everybody for their patience and as always your feedback is much appreciated! Honestly, I love reading your feedback! You guys are the best!**

 **Until next time...Ciao!**


	10. Chapter 10: Mending a Broken Heart

Chapter 10: Mending A Broken Heart

The darkness of night continued to set in over the city of Saffron and after a long, arduous walk to the city's outskirts, Red sighed in relief as brightly lit lampposts marked the entrance to his current destination: Lance's mansion.

For Red, just the sight of the mansion invoked a sense of nostalgia. He vividly remembered being taken in by the dragon master after his father's passing and lived under this very roof until he was able to make it on his own.

After taking a minute to catch his breath, Red paused as he began to look around. Even though it had been awhile, everything was still the same as he remembered it; same bushes, same statues, same fountains.

"I guess some things never change…." he mused as he quickly ran up the stone path and knocked on the mansion's huge wooden doors.

A few seconds of silence followed before one of the doors slowly creaked open and in the doorway stood one of the mansion's many well-dressed maids.

"Oh! Good evening Red!" she greeted as she bowed in front of him and in turn, Red graciously tipped his hat back to her.

"Good Evening to you too!" he politely replied, "I'm here to see Lance."

Before the maid even had a chance to reply, a loud booming voice echoed from down the hallway. "I'm in the den Red! Reading the paper!"

With her job done for her, the maid simply shook her head and extended her arm down the hallway. "He's been waiting for you." she chuckled, gesturing for Red to come inside.

"So I see, thanks!" he mused as he entered the mansion and began his walk down the hall towards where the voice was coming from.

* * *

After passing by a few empty rooms, Red finally came to one with the door wide open and upon looking inside, saw the spiky haired dragon master sitting in a comfy chair near the fireplace, while his happy-go-lucky dragon companion sat in another corner of the room playing with some toys.

Seeing that he hadn't noticed him yet, Red gave a soft knock on the door prompting Lance to quickly look towards the doorway.

"Red!" he called out as he dropped his paper and ran over with his hand outstretched.

"Hi Lance, thanks for meeting with me on such short notice." Red happily greeted in return before turning his attention to the large pokemon in the corner, "….and hello to you too Dragonite!"

The dragon pokemon howled with joy upon seeing the younger trainer and happily embraced him as he came running over.

"Ha-ha! I know! I've missed you too!" Red laughed before noticing that Dragonite was curiously looking over his shoulder and sighed knowing what it was hoping to see, "Sorry I didn't bring Pikachu with me to play with you today." he reluctantly had to reveal. However, before Dragonite even had the chance to be upset, Red suddenly reached into his pocket and presented the pokemon with a giant Haban berry instead.

"But….I did bring you this!"

Immediately, Dragonite's face lit up as it spotted the huge pink colored berry and happily began chomping down on it once Red passed it over.

While all this was going on, Lance was watching with a smile on his face. It had been so long since Red had come to visit him and he couldn't help but miss the old times they once shared together. "Red, you know you're welcome here anytime," he noted as Red helped himself to one of the huge comfy chairs.

"I know that but, I also know that you're busy and I don't want to bother you."

Lance chuckled as he walked over to a nearby counter with a bunch of fancy bottles on it. "Oh! Don't you worry about that!" he reassured the young trainer before pointing to one of the bottles, "Drink?"

Red looked at the bottle in question. Normally he would politely decline, but after everything that had happened tonight a drink sounded really good right about now.

"Sure….why not!"

"Atta boy!" Lance cheered as he poured two glasses full of a dark liquid and passed one to the young trainer. "So how have things been?"

"A bit….quieter now…" Red noted as he took a sip of his drink and stared down into it, "Yellow and I broke up tonight…."

Lance sighed. As much as he was happy to see his young protégé, he figured his reason for coming tonight wasn't going to be good. "Oh geez Red I'm sorry to hear that." he said before turning away and scratching his head, "Umm….no offense but….who was she again?"

"The…uhh…reporter." Red duly reminded the dragon master and just as if a light bulb clicked on, Lance immediately snapped his fingers.

"Oh right! Sorry I completely forgot!"

Red couldn't help but laugh. Even though he had mentioned Yellow to him in the past, for some reason Lance could never remember that they were together, let alone even existed.

" _Perhaps I should have considered that an omen."_ Red sarcastically thought to himself as he watched Lance take a sip of his drink.

"So…what happened?" he asked and Red's eyes darted from side to side as he remembered the reason for their break up.

"She….found someone else."

Immediately Lance looked down and began rubbing his temple. "Oh boy…." he muttered, struggling to think of how he should respond to what he was just told. "Well Red….that's just how life is sometimes you know?"

Even though he knew Lance was trying to cheer him up, it wasn't making Red feel any less nervous of what he wanted to talk about next. "Thanks…but I'm honestly no better….." he whispered.

"Oh?"

Lance watched as Red proceeded to swirl his drink in his glass and quickly saw what he was getting at. "Does this mean you have someone else too?" he inquired and it took Red a few seconds before slowly nodding in response.

"Yes…that's what I came here to talk to you about."

With that, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "See…there's….this….girl." he began to explain, "We met….almost a year ago though some very….unconventional means and have essentially talked every day since then."

Lance rested his head atop his hand as he listened to every word Red said. "She must be something special if you talk to her every day."

"S-she is!" Red quickly acknowledged, "She's…..an amazing person to be with and I wouldn't trade the time we've shared with one another for the world…."

He then watched as Lance began to rub his chin in thought. "I see…" he pondered before raising an eyebrow, "So then….where's the problem in all this?"

Red sighed heavily. He knew there was no way he could ever hope to explain his online relationship with someone as old fashion as Lance was.

"W-well" he stammered, knowing full well that whatever he was about to say, wasn't going to make much sense, "We….haven't….truly…met one another…."

Words could not describe the look of confusion Lance's face showed as he finished saying that. "What?!" he asked in disbelief and Red glanced away knowing how foolish he looked right now, "How could you know her but not-"

"It's complicated! Okay?!" Red quickly stated in an attempt to change the conversation.

"Look….the problem is that I believe she's only in love with this idea of who I am…not who I truly am as a person…." he admitted while looking down at his feet. "….and I'm afraid that….if I do reveal myself to her…our entire relationship may be lost."

Lance stressfully ran his hand through his hair as he listened to the young trainer's plight. What did he want him to say? He was a business owner, not a love guru.

"Red….I…" he paused as he tried to collect his thoughts. Of all things for Red to ask, this was not his area of expertise. "…I don't know how much help I can be…."

"I know….but it was either talk to you or Ethan about this….and….you know….."

Quickly seeing what Red was getting at, Lance gave a slight nod. "Yeah…I doubt he would be very much help…." he chuckled, knowing full well that the yellow-capped individual would probably tell Red to just go for it and never look back.

"It's just…you know I haven't had anybody in my life before."

Red couldn't deny that fact. In all the years he had known the dragon master, he had always been alone and that only served to make him curious.

"You've….. **never** had someone you loved before?"

Suddenly, Lance grew silent and just sat there with his head hung low in thought before suddenly standing up from his chair. "…..once." he muttered as he slowly walked over to his dragon companion, "It was back when I used to be a pokemon trainer and Dragonite here was still a Dratini."

The dragon pokemon lowered its head to Lance's level and a look of sadness fell over its face as it recalled the story the dragon master was about to tell. "We'd been out all night training when Dratini got badly poisoned in a fight and since I was in unfamiliar territory, I couldn't find my way back to town…." he recalled while slowly petting his companions head. "By the time we found our way back, the poisoning had become so bad that it went into shock and in a panic, I ran from door to door screaming for help…and that's when I met…..her."

"Her?"

Lance closed his eyes as the memory vividly began coming back to him. "Yes….remember when I told you I was familiar with that daycare you showed me? Well this was the girl who owned it at the time…..oh how her body sparkled as the sun came up over the horizon." he stated as the slightest of smiles curled on his lips, "I'll never forget….she took us back to her home, healed Dratini in almost record time….then didn't even charge me a pokedollar for it…"

"It was the kindest most….selfless act a person had ever done for me and I was…..touched by it."

Red watched as Lance stopped and took a sip of his drink. He never figured that after all these years his mentor had such a soft spot to him. "So….what happened next?" he asked, now thoroughly invested.

Lance paused before shaking his head. "I just…..thanked her….turned around and walked away…." he shrugged while chuckling to himself, but Red was still unsatisfied.

"That's it? Why didn't you say anything?" he inquired, "Who knows? She could have been…..the one for you."

"Because….like you, I was afraid Red! At the time I figured that….the experience I just had was as good as it was ever going to get for someone like me…." Lance sighed and Red noticed his glass visibly beginning to shake in his hand as he sorrowfully leaned up against his fireplace, "It wouldn't be till years later that I would muster the courage to go see her again…..only to find out that she had not only married during my absence….but also passed on…."

Red didn't know what to say. If this was the reason why his mentor never had anyone in his life it was truly heartbreaking and watched as he Lance just stood there in silence while the fireplace crackled behind him. "I don't have many regrets in this life but….if I did have one it would be that….I wish I could have seen her one last time…." he sadly whispered to himself.

"Lance…." Red muttered and as he came walking over to comfort the dragon master, Lance suddenly turned to face him. Even though Red may not have been his biological son, he still going to treat him as such.

"Look, you want my opinion on this dilemma of yours….I think you should just….be yourself Red." he honestly stated to the young trainer, "Mutual trust is the most important thing in a relationship….and if you truly don't believe that this girl can accept you for who you are…then….what's the point? Don't chase something you can't hope to attain!"

Red slowly glanced away, as much as it hurt to admit, his words rang true. "I was afraid you'd say that….." he muttered but snapped back to attention as Lance suddenly grabbed both of his shoulders.

"But, if there's something I've learned over the years it's that it's not the failed experiences that you regret over the years….but the chances that you failed to take…." he sternly declared as he stared into the eyes of the young trainer, "Don't let fear stop you from taking a chance Red! Otherwise, you'll just end up living a life full of regrets!"

In that moment, Red understood what his mentor was getting at. He wanted Red to believe in himself and more than anything, not end up like he had.

"I can't be afraid to take a risk huh….." Red quietly recited Lance's advice to himself before giving a small chuckle in return.

"W-what's so funny?"

Despite how confused his mentor looked, Red couldn't stop laughing. "I knew I was right coming to see you…." he stated and upon regaining his composure, gave the dragon a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Lance I know what I want to do now!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! Thanks for all your help!"

Still utterly baffled at what just occurred, Lance shrugged as he watched Red beam with happiness. "Well I….really don't think I did that much, but…..hey! Glad I could help!" he stated, happy that Red somehow found the answer he was looking for, "….and remember if there's anything I can do to help you just ask!"

"Ah! Thanks, Lance! But I don't think there's any other way you can hel…" Red trailed off as an idea suddenly popped into his head. "Actually….perhaps there is something you can help me with…..but it's kind of-"

"Red! Whatever it is, just…..tell me!"

Amit a bit hesitant to ask, Red took a piece of paper from his pocket and scribbled something down on it. "Okay….I was wondering….if….you could help me get this?" he asked as he folded the paper and passed it to his mentor.

Curious what kind of request Red would have that he couldn't just flat out tell him, Lance took the paper for himself and what he saw when he opened it caught him so off guard that he nearly fell over. "Red….you….do know what this is…..right?" he stated, cocking an eyebrow as Red reassuringly nodded back to him.

"You think you can you get it for me?"

Lance stared long and hard at his young protégé before glancing back down at the paper in question. "Of course I can!" he proudly replied while tilting his head from side to side, "Might take some time….but I'll get it for you!"

Just then the biggest smile formed on Red's face and before Lance knew it, the young trainer had suddenly wrapped his arms around him, "Thank you so much, Lance! You don't know how much this means to me!" he happily stated before bolting his way out of the room.

"Red!" Lance called out to him before he had a chance to get too far. "Are you…..sure about this?"

"Trust me, I'm more sure about this than anything in my life!" he happily replied and waved as he ran down the hall. "I gotta go! I got plans to make!"

"Alright! Good luck!" Lance chuckled before taking one last look at the paper and muttering, "…..go get her…"

* * *

With that, Red ran straight home, never stopping until he reached his front door. It was now clear what he wanted to do and upon making his way inside, walked straight over to his PC and typed the most honest response back to Leaf he could think of. Unfortunately, her meeting with Red's online persona would have to wait as unbeknownst to her, she was about to have another meeting. A long-awaited meeting that would take place between two former adversaries and the result of which would shape their futures forever.

It took some time for Red to not only physically prepare for this meeting but mentally prepare himself as well. He had to remember that even though he knew who she was, in Leaf's eyes he was still just the guy who owned the pokemon centre and would have act as such for the time being. Despite these setbacks, Red was determined to see his plan through and only a few days after meeting with Lance, found himself standing in front of a quaint little apartment building with one hand gripping a large bouquet of flowers, while a small piece of paper occupied the other.

" _Well….this is the place…._ " he thought as he quickly glanced down at the piece of paper, " _131 Lapras Lane….._ "

He then returned his gaze to the building in front of him. Leaf was residing within those very brick walls and just the thought of that sent a chill down Red's spine. The last time they'd talked face to face was at the café and even though that night ended in a disaster, Red could still vividly remember her apology she had unintentionally sent to him after it happened. So….how she would react to seeing him now could literally go either way.

" _ **Remember Red, if she can't accept you for who you are…then there's no point in chasing something you can't attain**_." Lance's words echoed in his mind as he slowly made his way up the steps and paused before entering the door to the lobby.

" _Boy, I hope that's not the case though…._ "

Upon making his way inside, Red was greeted with a giant keypad and quickly began scanning it for Leaf's apartment.

"Let's see…it's apartment…32…" he muttered before finally finding the number he was looking for, "…..got it!"

Red stared at the number and took a deep breath. This was it, this was the moment he had been waiting over a year for and his finger was practically shaking as he reached forward to press the call button.

"Take it easy Red…." he personally coached himself, "Whatever decision she makes, you have to accept…."

Continuing to lean forward, Red proceeded to shut his eyes until he could feel the button brush against his finger and firmly pressed down on it.

" _THERE! IT'S DONE!_ "

* * *

While all this was going on, Leaf was just silently lying in her room, something she had grown accustomed to over the past few days. Ever since the daycare closed, the extent of her days were spent mopping about her apartment and despite her phone constantly ringing off the hook, Leaf refused to answer it.

Why should she bother answering it? She was jobless and after everything that been said and done to her over the past while, Leaf felt completely useless. All she wanted was to be alone and removed from the world that had brought her to this state…but as fate would have it….that was soon not to be the case.

As she lied there, Leaf was suddenly brought to attention by the buzzing of her intercom.

*BUZZZZ*

"Huh?" she mumbled, glancing towards where the sound was coming from. Right now Leaf was in no mood to get up, let alone talk to anyone and after a few seconds of silence, she figured that it was either someone wanting to offer her a job or some salesperson who buzzed the wrong number.

Regardless, Leaf wanted nothing to do with it and chose to ignore whoever it was. "Why can't people just leave me alone…." she grumbled as she turned over in her bed and was just about to close her eyes when…

*BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ*

The intercom rang out again and now it was clear that whoever it was, had indeed come to see her.

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming…." Leaf moaned as she slowly got out of her bed and began making her way over to the intercom. Considering that she hadn't talked to anyone in days, Leaf figured that either Lyra or Cynthia had probably come to check on her and hastily pressed the call button to see which one of them it was.

"Yes? Who is it?"

* * *

Back on the ground floor, Red froze as he heard her voice, "Leaf?" he announced.

A few seconds of silence followed before a much angrier voice responded through the intercom.

"Who is this?!"

Red's eyes nervously shifted from side to side. No doubt a man's voice was not what she expected and he could feel the sweat start to roll down his forehead as he prepared to drop the next big bombshell.

"It's umm….its me Red."

Leaf froze, she thought the voice sounded familiar, and that just confirmed her suspicions. "Red?" she mouthed to herself.

Granted, she figured that after days of no contact that SOMEONE would come to check on her, but of ALL people in the world, he was definitely the last person she'd ever expect and began to wonder if this some sort of joke.

"What do you want?!" Leaf demanded as she once again pressed down on the intercom.

Back in the lobby, Red's heart literally pounding out of his chest as he heard her stern voice ask the question he had dreaded. "What do I want…." he muttered to himself, knowing full well what he WANTED to tell her, but couldn't just flat out ask.

"It's….it's kinda hard for me to explain, can I come in?"

Leaf's mouth was completely agape as she heard those words come from her intercom. "H-he wants to come in?!" she stressfully thought to herself.

Was he insane? She didn't even want to talk to her to own friends let alone the person who ran her out of business.

Regardless of his intentions, Leaf was in no mood to deal with the pokemon centre's owner and quickly devised a plan to get rid of him. "Umm….I-I don't think you should….." she stammered as she began to dramatically sniffle out loud, "See I've….uhh….come down with a bit of a cold and I…"

*Cough* *Cough*

"….I don't want you catching it….so…..thank you for coming but please stop by another day!"

She then waited a few seconds for Red's inevitable reply, but much to her surprise, one never came.

" _D-did…..did he really buy that?_ " she bafflingly thought to herself, " _I can't believe that stupid lie worked 2 times in a row!_ "

* * *

Breathing a sigh of relief, Leaf was just about to walk back over to her bed when she suddenly heard a loud knock at her door.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"EEP!" she shrieked, startled by the sudden sound.

"Leaf?" she heard his distinct voice call out from the other side of the door and unsure what to do next, Leaf began running around her room in a panic.

"J-just a minute!"

Right now, the only clothes Leaf had on were her pajamas and she sure as heck wasn't about to let Red see her looking the way she was.

As quick as she could, Leaf threw on her bathrobe and quickly ran her hand through her hair in an attempt to make herself look more presentable, before finally unlocking the front door.

She slowly cracked it open to reveal the dark-haired pokemon centre's owner standing there in his usual red vest with a beautiful bouquet of pink and white roses occupying his right hand.

On the flip-side, Red's eyes were met with the former owner of the Sunflora daycare herself and she definitely looked as if she had seen better days. She was wearing a simple white bathrobe over her pajamas, her normally well-kept long brunette hair was a wild mess and her eyes were all red and puffy from either a lack of sleep or crying.

Yet, regardless how she looked right now, Red knew that she was still the same Leaf and would treat her as such. "Hi, there!" he politely greeted with a smile on his face.

Still bewildered at the sight before her, Leaf said the very first words that came to her mind. "H-how….how did you get up here?!" she demanded as Red scratched the back of his head in response.

"Oh, some old lady was leaving the building and asked if I wanted to come in."

Leaf gritted her teeth, " _Ugh! Does nobody pay attention to the sign out front that says: No trespassers!"_ she frustratingly thought to herself.

Unfortunately, while Leaf was busy yelling in her head, she completely failed to notice Red push right past her and walk straight into her apartment.

"H-hey!"

"Hey! This is a nice place you've got here!" he praised as he casually looked around, admiring the décor of her apartment. "Though I expected no less of you."

Not knowing whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, Leaf quickly turned around and ran over to him. "Red! What are you doing here?!" she demanded still stunned at the fact that the pokemon centre's owner was actually standing in her apartment.

"Huh?" he bashfully replied, not really knowing how he was going to break what he wanted to say to her, "W-well….I-"

Before Red even had a chance to explain, he was suddenly cut off by Leaf's hand in front of his face. "Wait! Wait….I know why you came here…." she declared causing Red's heart to skip a beat.

"Y-you do?"

"Yes and just…hurry up and say it to me!"

Red was breathing so fast he felt like he was going to pass out. Could she actually know the real reason why he was there?

"S-say what?"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me!" she exclaimed as she got right up in his face and began yelling at the top of her lungs "You did it Red! Your pokemon centre took me out of business and if you came here to laugh at my defeat then just…..hurry up and do it!"

Red watched as she gave him the deadliest glare he had ever seen and her body was shook with rage as all her pent up emotions came out at once. "Well! What are you waiting for?!" she screamed at him, "LAUGH! DO IT ALREADY!"

"I didn't come here to laugh at you…..."

No sooner did those words leave Red's mouth and Leaf's eyes immediately widened.

"Y-you….didn't….."

Her lip quivered widely as she slowly backed away, shocked and embarrassed from the whirlwind of emotions that she had just rained down upon him. Not only was she ashamed of her actions….but conflicted as well. Because if Red hadn't come here to mock her….then why was he?

Why would he?

Before she had the chance to think too much into it another idea popped into Leaf's mind. "W-wait….I get it….." she nervously muttered to her red-capped adversary. "I know why you're here Red!"

Red watched in bewilderment as she began hollowly chuckling to herself, "You want to offer me a job don't you?!" she sternly declared, believing she had figured him out.

Once again, Red couldn't even utter a response before Leaf suddenly narrowed her eyes and began raising her voice again. "You think that just because my daycare's closed I'm going to come running to you now?!"

"Leaf that's n-"

"Well jokes on you mister because I'm a hot commodity!" she proudly declared, cutting him off in the process, "I've have had LOTS of job offers!"

"Is that so…."

Leaf quickly nodded in response. "Yes! One of which was your girlfriend in case you were wondering!" she added in an attempt to make him envious of her. However, much to Leaf's surprise, her words only served to make Red turned away from her.

"Ex….girlfriend…." he muttered under his breath causing Leaf to once again recoil in shock.

"Oh…you mean that you two…"

"Spilt up…..yeah….."

Leaf didn't really know how to respond. On one hand, a break-up was something that she should've felt bad about. But on the other hand, it had happened to her former adversary and she honestly couldn't care less about how he felt. "Oh that's such a shame now isn't it?!" she scoffed as she put her hands on her hips, "You two were just SOOO perfect for one another weren't yo-"

"LEAF!" Red suddenly yelled out causing her to immediately stop and cover her mouth in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry!" Leaf mumbled, feeling absolutely horrible for what she had just said and began wildly waving her hands in the air. "See? There I go talking without thinking again! You probably think I'm such a-"

Without warning, she was cut off as Red suddenly placed his finger over her lips. "Leaf! Stop talking!" he sternly demanded causing her eyes to widen at his actions.

With that, Red sighed deeply. He had to remind himself that despite how broken she was right now, this was still the same Leaf Green he knew and loved and was more determined than ever to bring her out of this despair.

"I didn't come here to mock you and believe me; I know that you're too proud to ever accept a job from me either." he calmly explained as she continued to stare at him wide eyed.

Before Leaf could utter a single word in response, Red suddenly presented her with the bouquet of flowers that he had been holding onto for some time now. "Look I…..I heard you weren't feeling well and I…..brought you flowers."

Leaf eyes quickly darted between the bouquet and the man who held them. Could that really have been the reason why he came?

"O-oh….t-thank you." she stammered, shocked at his kindness, "That's…very sweet of you…."

An awkward silence filled the room as Red and Leaf just stood there staring at each other, both unsure how they should proceed.

"Do you….have a vase I can put these in?" Red finally asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"Uhh….yeah…." she hesitantly replied, hoping to ease the awkwardness between them as well, "Kitchen, top cupboard."

"Thanks."

* * *

With that Red turned and walked into the kitchen and Leaf waited until he was out of sight before turning her attention to the luscious bouquet of roses that now occupied her hand.

"Hmm….roses are such a pretty flower…" Leaf sighed as she slid her finger over one of the soft petals, "How did you know they're my favorites?"

"I didn't!" Red yelled out from the kitchen, "Your friend Lyra told me!"

"Lyra….." Leaf muttered and as Red came walking back in, vase in hand, she quickly remembered, "That's right…..I forgot you hired her recently."

Red watched as a sad expression began to form on Leaf's face. She hadn't talked to Lyra since the daycare closed and just the mere mention of her friend's name caused a flood of memories to come back.

"….thank you for taking her in….." Leaf sighed, vividly remembering her friend's reaction the first time the daycare's future was ever brought into question, "She was so worried that she wouldn't be able to find another job after the daycare closed."

Red sighed as well. "She's a good worker Leaf; I don't turn down good help," he assured her, but her sad expression wouldn't change.

"You'll never find a better worker than her in the whole wide world….."

Red took a deep breath before taking the flowers out of Leaf's hand. No matter how hard he tried, everything he said just served to upset Leaf more and more. "Well anyone who has enough courage to flirt with me directly on our first meeting is some special in my books." he joked, desperately attempting to lighten the mood, "She was also the one who told me where you lived in case you were wondering."

Leaf bit her lip. Truth was, she really did miss her friend and the more they talked about her, the more curious she became. "H-how's she doing?" she asked and Red gave her a reassuring smile in return.

"She's doing fine….but she's worried about you Leaf." he noted while carefully placing the bouquet of flowers in the vase, "She tells me that she's been trying to get in touch with you ever since the daycare closed, but you never call back."

With that, Red continued fixing the bouquet, fully expecting Leaf to give him some kind of response back...but one never came. After a few seconds of silence, Red curiously looked over and saw her standing there with her head hung low.

A lot of bad memories were beginning to surface for Leaf…..and, not just the daycare closing.

"….I haven't wanted to talk to anyone since the daycare closed." she hesitantly admitted to him, "Believe it or not Red, you're the first person I've actually talked too since it happened."

Red stared at her in disbelief. Thanks to her message to him, he knew that the daycare closing had been a major blow to her. But….why would she forsake her friends? What else could have happened that was making her act like this?

"Why?" he confusingly asked, "Leaf you have friends who care about you, you don't need to go through this alo-"

"You don't get it Red!" she suddenly yelled at him, "I'm nothing! How am I supposed to face anyone when I'm such a….a…"

Leaf couldn't hold in anymore, even though she was trying so hard to ignore the events that had led her to this state, they were all flooding back to her and with a look of sheer terror, looked straight into Red's eyes and yelled the last words she remembered Blue telling her.

"WHEN I'M SUCH A WORTHLESS IDIOT!"

The moment those words left her mouth, Leaf collapsed to her knees and began to sobbing uncontrollably causing Red to recoil in shock.

Before he knew it, the exact same scenario that had scarred his heart a few days prior was playing out right in front of him and as her wails grew louder and louder Red panicked, wondering what his next move should be.

His immediate thought was to just bend down and tightly embrace her, letting her know that everything was going to be okay….but he knew that wasn't going to be the case.

Whether he liked it or not, right now he was Red: The pokemon centre's owner and had to act as such no matter how hard it was.

"Leaf…you're not worthless," he whispered and as he stared down at her Red knew one thing was for sure: No matter how he had to act right now, this time it would be different. This time….he was going to be there for her and as Red, slowly began to descend to her level he had to think: What would the Red she knew do in this situation?

"Yes! Yes, I am!" she choked as tears continued to stream from her eyes, "I poured everything into my daycare and I stupidly lost it all! All the plans I had…..everything I ever loved is gone and it's never coming back!"

Red didn't know how to respond. Right now every emotion in her body was coming to the surface and he could only watch as she looked over at him, eyes all puffy and red from crying and exclaimed. "Red my heart…..my heart was…."

Red couldn't bear any longer. He was trying…trying so hard to be the person she knew and stone-face this whole scenario….but he couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, seeing her like this was causing his real feelings to bleed out.

"Leaf come on…." he whispered while slowly placing his hand on her shoulder, "Please don't cry…."

However, no sooner did he touch her and she suddenly looked up at him with venom in her eyes. "Oh! Why do you care?!" she harshly snapped back at him and Red recoiled in shock as she violently slapped his hand away. "Of all people in this world, you're the one who probably thinks I'm the biggest failure of all!"

Then what happened next, was something Leaf would never forget.

Hurt and with his head turned away, Red muttered the most unexpected thing she'd ever heard come out of his mouth. "….I don't think you're a failure," he whispered causing her eyes to widen as far as they could go.

"W-what?"

Just then, it all became clear. What the "Red she knew" needed to say to his former adversary in order to bring her out of this despair; it was so obvious.

He needed to tell her….the truth.

"Look Leaf, I have considered you many things ever since we've known each other and trust me, not all of them were good." he sternly admitted before pointing at her and shaking his head, "But if there is one thing I have never considered you, it's a failure!"

Words could not describe the look of complete shock on Leaf's face. She just sat there with her mouth agape as Red continued his speech. "You…fought honorably for what you believed in and even though you may think you've lost everything, there's actually something you've gained throughout this whole endeavor."

"W-what's that?" Leaf asked as Red closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"My respect Leaf…." he revealed causing Leaf to let out a small gasp in response, "I may not have thought much of you at first, but as time went on and I saw you fight harder and harder to save your daycare I…..began to respect you; both as a business owner and a person."

"Red…."

A small chuckle escaped from his mouth as he slowly shook his head. "A failure….the Leaf Green I went up against would NEVER consider herself a failure!" he proudly proclaimed as she stared at him wide-eyed, "The Leaf Green I know is strong and even when things looked their bleakest, she fought to then end for what she believed in!"

Leaf froze, taking in every word he had just said. "The Leaf Green…..you know….." she whispered to herself and watched as Red gave her a reassuring smile in return.

This was it; this is what she needed to hear from him.

"Look…. I don't know who told you those things, but they're not true!" he stated as he gently placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "….you're so much more than this…..and you know it….."

Leaf didn't know what to say. She was so touched by everything Red had just said that she was at a loss for words and as she stared into his eyes, she could feel tears start to roll down her cheeks once again…but they weren't tears of sorrow. "Red…thank you." she softly whispered to him, "You may not realize it but…..actually hearing that from you…..means so much to me."

Right then, Red felt his heart skip a beat as for a fleeting moment, there was a faint smile on Leaf's face and it caused his stomach to tingle with excitement.

Knowing that things were going to be okay, he then took a spare tissue from his pocket and wiped away any stray tears she had left. "Leaf….I know you're sad….and if you need to cry, then let yourself cry. But please don't ever give up on what you believe in." he stated as he stood up and extended his hand to her, "….because remember: You can't give up until it's over!"

Leaf stared at his outstretched hand and bit her lip. How could she have let herself get like this? How could she have forgotten…..her purpose for living?"

"…..you're right." she muttered to herself as she slowly looked skyward and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, a glimmer of hope had made its way back to her heart, "You're right Red….I can't give up! I WON'T give up!"

Her determination restored, Leaf firmly grasped Red's hand in her own and smiled as he pulled her to her feet.

"Now…..there's the Leaf Green I know."

No sooner did he say that and Red froze as for a split-second he could have sworn he saw a faint blush on her cheeks, "Thank you Red." she sweetly replied to him.

A silence then followed as the once former adversaries just stared at one another. On any other occasion, a situation like this would probably be followed by a hug or something and Red stammered wondering if that's what she was expecting out of him or not. However before anything could happen, Leaf suddenly looked down and started to hollowly chuckle to herself.

"Heh….hahaha…look at me…." Leaf sighed as she looked down at herself and shrugged in defeat, "I suppose I should stop wallowing in my own self-pity and just go find a new job huh?"

Much to Leaf's surprise, instead of agreeing with her, Red shook his head. "No…what you need to do is rest up and get over this cold! The jobs will be there when you get better," he stated causing Leaf recoil in shock.

"Huh?" she confusingly replied before suddenly cluing in that he was talking about her fake actions from earlier, "A-actually Red I'm n-"

"Atttttta!" he quickly cut her off and before Leaf knew it, Red suddenly grabbed her arm and began leading her over to her bedroom.

"H-hey!"

"As someone who takes care of sick pokemon, you should know that the first rule of curing a cold is rest!" he lectured and Leaf rolled her eyes as he sarcastically waved his finger in the air.

"But I'm no-"

"No BUT'S!" Red sternly declared as he pointed towards her bed, "I'm not leaving until I see you to bed!"

No sooner did he say that and Leaf immediately looked over at him. "What?!" she gasped and Red's face suddenly turned completely flush as he realized what he just said.

"N-no! NO! Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I swear!" he stammered while flailing his arms wildly.

Leaf couldn't believe what she was seeing and had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. She couldn't deny that even though Red was once her adversary, he looked really cute right now and cheekily wanted to see just how embarrassed she could make him. "Why Red! I had no idea you could be so…forward!" she teased and gave him a sly wink that caused his face to turn even redder.

"S-shut up!" Red embarrassingly stated as he quickly drew back the covers on her bed, "J-just hurry and hop in!"

With no better option, Leaf did as she was told and dramatically snuggled against her pillow as she crawled in. "Mmm….never thought I'd be forced to bed by you of all people."

Red chuckled. Even though he was embarrassed by her teasing, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. "Y-yeah well….y-you should feel privileged!" he sarcastically responded and Leaf couldn't help but giggle in response.

It had been such a long time since she'd flirted with someone like this and as she watched Red carefully place her covers over-top of her body, Leaf couldn't help but think that something about this felt….right.

"There! Does that feel good?" Red asked as he finished tucking her in.

"Yes it does….thanks….." Leaf whispered in response, still trying to wrap her head around everything that had just occurred.

"Okay…good…." he nervously replied and began to rub his arm unsure of how he should end this meeting. "I…uhh…I guess I'll see you around then Leaf."

Before she could say anything in return, Red quickly tipped his cap and began hastily making his way towards the front door, hoping to leave before things got too awkward between them.

* * *

However, he only made it about half way when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"H-hey Red?"

Red came to an immediate stop the second he heard her voice. "Yes…Leaf?" he responded while slowly turning to face her.

He watched as Leaf's eyes darted from side to side. There was only one question circulating through her mind right now and she was dying for an answer. "Y-you….never did tell me why you came here today." she stated as she sat up in her bed, "As sweet as it was, I really doubt you came all the way here just to check up on me and give me flowers."

Red stared at her longingly. Even though they had just reconciled with one another, was this really the right time to tell her? Or…..did she already know?

"You're right…there is a reason…." he muttered, tripping over his words as he tried to think of the best way to explain his actions to her.

"Look…I know what it's like to go through a traumatic experience like this….." Red sighed as he thought back to what had happened to him in the past, "When my dad passed away and I was left with the pokemon centre….I didn't know what to do. I was lost, had no one to turn too and now had all this responsibility suddenly thrust on me."

Leaf sighed. While the memory was faint, she could vaguely remember Red mentioning something like this to her the first day they met.

"Nothing's worse than that feeling of being alone and uncertain and that's why I was hoping that….I….." Red paused, was he really about to tell her right now? After all, he truly wanted nothing more than to get it off his chest and she was right there….but still….

With his mind a complete mess, Red glanced away and blurted out the first words that came to his mind.

"I was hoping that I could…..be your friend through this!"

"F-friend?" Leaf responded with a shocked expression on her face.

" _FRIEND?!_ " Red screamed in his head even more in shock than Leaf was at the moment, " _No! NO! That's not it!_ "

However, no matter how upset he was on the inside, Red knew deep down this was the logical first step. "Yes…friend…." he muttered, turning away as he did, "Though….considering everything that's happened between us….that's probably a really stupid idea huh?"

Fully expecting her to flat out agree with him, Red closed his eyes as he waited for her inevitable response…but surprisingly it never happened. What he heard instead sent a shock through his body that he would never forget.

"I wouldn't say that…."

Immediately Red's eyes shot open, "Huh?" he said and as he turned back to face her, he saw Leaf sitting there with her head hung low.

"Look Red….I can't just ignore what happened between us in the past." she honestly stated to him, "Whether you want to admit it or not, you stood in my daycare and lied right to my face….just so you could get ahead of me.

Red lowered his head. His stupid actions that day had left a scar that, no matter how hard he tried to amend for it, would always be there and he bit his lip knowing it was always going to come back to that.

"You hurt me….and that is just something I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to forgive you for." Leaf continued to lecture to him, her eyes watering from how passionate she was getting.

This was something she had wanted to get off her chest for so long and as soon as she finished saying all that she needed to say, she suddenly went silent. With her head still hung low, Leaf began reflecting on everything that had happened over the past while and after a few seconds of deliberation, looked into to the eyes of the man she once considered her adversary and admitted. "However…..I can't deny that was in the past…..and I also can't deny that…..I've hurt you too…."

Red could feel his heart racing as those words left her mouth. "Leaf….." he whispered as she glanced away from him.

"L-look….there's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now."

"What's that?"

"I just….want to apologize for….that night….at the café," she said before she began shaking her head, "I was just so frustrated from waiting that I took all my anger out on you."

Red glanced away as well. He remembered the night….all too well.

"Red…I know you're not the type of person who just does this for the money, you really do care a lot about pokemon." Leaf admitted before tightly closing her eyes, "….a-and I'll be honest with you….I've always hated having to go up against you…..because deep down….I knew how great of a person you really were and you don't know how much it hurt me every time I had to do it."

"I just…..hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Red was stunned, it was literally the most genuine thing he had ever heard Leaf say to him. Then, as if his feet moved on autopilot, found himself walking back over to her bedside and kneeling down beside her.

Meanwhile, Leaf still had her eyes closed when she suddenly felt a warm sensation envelope one of her hands and hold it tight.

Her eyes quickly shot open and saw the pokemon centre's owner kneeling beside her

"R-red?" Leaf gasped, blushing profusely as he softly held her hand and stared into her eyes.

"I've always hated competing against you too." he openly admitted to her, "Ever since that first day I met you, I knew just how amazing of a person you were and you don't know how hard it was for me to convince myself otherwise."

Leaf didn't know how to react to all this. They were close, closer than Leaf should've felt comfortable with and yet…..she couldn't turn away. Between the kindness of his words and the gentle touch of his hand against hers, Leaf felt….safe with him.

Then….Red said something that really caught her off-guard.

"….and please don't worry about what happened at the café." he kindly reassured her, "We all….say things that we regret when we're worried or stressed and I'm sure whatever you said was probably deserved."

In that moment Leaf froze. She had heard that statement before...but not from him.

"What's wrong?" Red asked as she continued to stare blankly at him.

Figuring it must have just been a coincidence, Leaf simply shook her head. "N-nothing!" she stammered as Red nodded in return.

"Okay…I gotta go now." he said as he slowly caressed her hand, "Leaf…I really…..truly….hope you feel better soon."

"O-okay…"

With that Red stood up and made his way to the door. However, just before he left, he stopped and turned around. "Take care Leaf! I'll….see around!"

"Yeah….see you." Leaf whispered back and as she watched Red make his way out the door, took a moment to take in everything that had just occurred.

" _W-wha…..what just happened?_ " Leaf bafflingly thought to herself, " _The way Red was talking….it was just like….._ "

* * *

Glancing at the door to make sure he was gone, Leaf quickly jumped out of her bed and bolted over to her computer room. Thanks to the state of mind she had been in for the past few days, Leaf hadn't looked at her e-mail account since her daycare closed….mainly because she was not only embarrassed for dumping all her emotions on her mystery man at once but was also afraid how he would respond to her sudden request to meet her.

However….after seeing Red, a spark lit in her heart and as she logged into her account, her curiosity grew more and more.

*You have 1 new message* The prompt she knew all too well said to her and her heart raced as she clicked on his new message.

 **From: TheChampion151**

 **Good Evening:**

 **I just saw your message and I want to let you know that I'm sorry to hear about your daycare and that I thank you for having the courage to tell me.**

 **It is an unfortunate fact of life that things we hold dear; whether they are real animate beings or inanimate objects that hold special meaning, will eventually be taken from us. Sometimes….no matter how hard we try to hold on to something….life will take it away and to that extent…..I agree on your view of change.**

 **Change can be a horrible thing. Change….is unpredictable and it's scary because there's no way of knowing what the end result will be.**

 **But….you have to remember that change…..can be a good thing. It is because of change…..that I met you and it's because I decided to take a chance on something different that….I'm sitting here right now, discussing this with you right now.**

As much as Leaf was enjoying her mystery man's heartfelt message to her, there was one part she desperately wanted to see more than anything and her heart raced as she came to the part in question.

 **Now….in response to your final request, regardless of what you may think, please hear me out. In all honesty, I believe we should hold off our meeting, just for a bit. I know my decision may not be the one you were hoping for, but you did ask me, to be honest with you and this is my honest thought.**

 **You have to understand, meeting you is something I've wanted for so long and I don't want us rashly rushing into it….I want it to be special.**

 **I promise you though, I won't make you wait long. Just please give me some time to prepare myself and I'll let you know when I'm ready okay?**

Leaf sighed with content. Even though it wasn't exactly the response she had hoped for, at least he wasn't upset with her and from the sounds of it, he really did want to meet her soon. However, there was one last part to her mystery man's message, the contents of which….definitely peaked her curiosity.

 **Before I go, I'm going to leave you with a piece of advice that a very wise person told me today.**

 **It's okay to grieve for that which you have lost, but please don't let it stop you from taking chances and please don't be afraid of change.**

 **Because you never know when a good change might come knocking at your door!**

Leaf finished reading what her mystery man had written her and stared at it in bewilderment.

"You….never know when change will come knocking on your door….." she muttered the final sentence of the message to herself before nervously scratching her head.

"W-well….technically he didn't ' **knock** ' on my door first…." she internally debated to herself, "B-but then he did after.…so could he really…"

As quick as the idea popped into her head, the quickly she dismissed it. "No….you're losing it Leaf!" she declared while shaking her head, "There's just no way…"

With that, she stood up and walked away. However, just before making it to her room, she paused and glanced towards the front door.

"But still….."

A smile curled over her face as she trailed off. Despite it being the craziest idea in the world, Leaf had to ask herself: after all he did for her today; would Red being her mystery man really be such a bad thing?

* * *

Meanwhile, Red had already made his way out of the apartment and was currently walking down the street with the biggest grin on his face. Despite a few minor setbacks, Red had done it. He got Leaf to accept him for who he was and helped her overcome her despair.

" _I can't believe it!_ " he happily cheered in his head, " _I actually got to see that beautiful smile of hers again!_ "

More ecstatic than ever, Red reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and began dialing a number.

A few rings later and young lady's voice answered from the other end. "Hello? Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre!" she formally greeted and Red chuckled, knowing that wasn't how this person regularly acted.

"Hey, it's me." he casually announced causing the person to perk up

"Oh! Red!" the voice happily replied before nervously stammering, "O-or should I address you formally?"

"We're friends Lyra, you can just call me Red."

"Really? That's so awesome!" Lyra excitedly stated before asking the question she was dying to know, "So? How'd it go?"

Red smiled as he thought back to everything that had just occurred. "It was a bit shaky at first, but….I think it was a great start." he replied before pausing and admitting to something he had discussed prior, "….and you were right, she really did like the flowers."

He could hear Lyra squeal with glee. "See? I told you she would!" she teasingly lectured him, "You just keep working on her and she'll come around eventually!"

"Thank you for all your help."

There was a few seconds of silence and Red could hear Lyra sigh on the other side of the phone before finally speaking up again. "Red….believe me, there's nothing I want more than to see my best friend smile again." she admitted to the red-capped individual, "….and who better to help me than her mystery man himself."

Even though she couldn't see it Red slowly nodded in response "Right!" he stated, knowing that he wasn't just doing this for Leaf, but for her friends as well.

"So….when are you going to tell her?"

Red sighed, that was the biggest question he was wondering about right now as well. "Soon…." he muttered in response, "This is going to be a huge bombshell for her when I do eventually tell her and I really want her and I to get to know each other better before I do."

"AWW! But I really want you to tell her!" Lyra pouted. She desperately wanted her friend to be happy again and Red fully acknowledged that.

"I will…I promise!" he reassuringly stated to the pig-tailed individual before deciding to wrap this conversation up, "Okay! I'm heading back to the pokemon centre now; we'll talk more when I get there!"

"Okay boss! See you soon!"

With that Red hung up his phone and resumed his walk towards the pokemon centre. Even though he hadn't revealed himself to her, he knew that this was the first step towards a better future for both him and Leaf.

* * *

 **Okay, let me start off by saying...I know! So much for the whole " _No more long chapters_ " statement I was preaching from the last chapter because this one ended up just as long as the others! Honestly, I don't know why, it just ended up that way.**

 **Secondly, in response to _Kiss A Squirrel_ , you know damn well that this story takes place in the Kanto region and I sure as hell don't know of any squirrel pokemon that exist in the Kanto region! HOWEVER! If you're good and you keep on reviewing my story I mayyyyyyy consider putting one in at the end just for you :) **

**And that being said, ladies and gentleman we rapidly approaching the end of this story. With technically only 2 chapters left we are indeed coming to the end (I know I can't believe it either.) and I just hope you guys have been enjoying the ride as much as I have. I know its been a long one and I hope you'll stick around with me till the end!**

 **As always, I look forward to read your thoughts on this chapter. I don't know...it just felt really good to write this after all the sad previous chapters and for those of you who are fans of my old story...rejoice! As next chapter will be a welcome return to form for both the characters and for me!**

 **So Until Next time!**

 **Ciao!**


	11. Chapter 11: An Unexpected First Date

Chapter 11: An Unexpected First Date.

It was a bright and sunny morning in the city of Saffron and as light slowly crept into her room; Leaf's eyes began to flutter open.

It had been about a week since Red had given her that motivational speech and in that short period of time, life began to turn around for the former owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre. No longer did she just spend her days moping about her apartment. Instead, Leaf made it a point to rekindle her relationships with her friends and above all else, not be afraid to face the world anymore.

However, despite this, she was still jobless and as such, began waking up much later in the day.

" _Ughh…just when I thought I didn't have to worry about setting alarms, Mother Nature comes around and wakes me up instead…_ " she grumbled in her head.

Still trying to wake herself up, Leaf stretched out in her bed and was just about to get up when…..

*RING* *RING*

The sound of her phone suddenly rang out causing Leaf to immediately snap to its attention.

" _Who could that be?_ " she wondered as she scrambled out of her bed to answer it. "Hello?"

In an instant Leaf's face brightened as she recognized the voice on the other end. "Oh! Hi, Lyra! How are you doing?"

Ever since she'd began working at the Pokemon Centre, Leaf hadn't gotten the chance to see her friend too often and just hearing Lyra's voice made her perk right up. "That's great! Yeah, I'm feeling much better now!" she happily replied before asking a question that she had been longing to ask for a while, "Hey! Are you free today? We could go shop…..oh…"

In an instant, all happiness seemed to drain from Leaf's face as Lyra reluctantly revealed her plans for the day. "You have to work huh…." she disappointingly muttered into the phone and immediately received an earful of apology from her pig-tailed friend on the other end, "No…no…it's okay…I completely understand…..we'll hang out soon….take care."

With that Leaf hung up the phone and sighed as she stared outside. With Lyra working constantly and Cynthia having to return to Sinnoh for a little while, her options for people to hang out with were slim to none.

It was strange; back when she used to run the daycare, Leaf would always be the busy one and never had any time to hang around with her friends. But now that she was jobless, it seemed that those roles had reversed and as such, Leaf found herself feeling increasingly lonely as the days went by.

Thankfully, whatever sadness she was starting to feel wouldn't last for long as a familiar sound suddenly rang out from her PC room.

*DING*

Immediately, Leaf turned in the direction of the sound, knowing full well what it meant.

" _That's!_ "

The thought didn't even have a chance to sink in as she bolted over to her PC and saw that oh so familiar prompt when she turned it on.

*You have 1 new message*

"Wow! You sure have great timing!" Leaf exclaimed with glee and eagerly clicked on the prompt to see what kind of message her mystery man had sent her.

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good Morning!**

 **(…or at least I hope you're reading this in the morning or I'm going to sound really stupid.)**

 **Okay, can I start by saying CURSE YOU for telling me about that cake you were baking yesterday! You made me really hungry and that's a problem because I can't cook that well! I hope you know that I now expect leftovers airmailed to me ASAP as a result ;)**

 **Hey in all seriousness, I'm glad you're feeling better! I'll be honest….I was getting a little worried about you. I know it's hard going through a tough time like this and remember, if you ever need me I'm always right here for you!**

 **I'm sure there will be days where you want to give up, but you just keep on smiling and I promise you, things will get better!**

 ***Hugs* Now get out there and do what you gotta do!**

Leaf had the biggest grin on her face as she finished reading that message. If there was one thing that had really improved since Red's motivation talk, it was her relationship with her mystery man.

Gone were the days when she would send him depressing/upset messages about how the daycare was failing and instead, they'd gone back to their old fun/nonsensical way of talking to one another. It was a change that Leaf could not be more thankful for as there were numerous times over the past week that she wanted to fall back into that despair, but every time she would consider it, his motivating words would keep her going.

Although, if there was one thing that Leaf found really odd about all this, it was the timing of it all. Literally, ever since she'd met with Red, her mystery man suddenly became a lot more supportive towards her and it only served to raise Leaf's suspicions even more that they were indeed one and the same.

However, Leaf didn't have time to think about that right now as she quickly got dressed in her usual attire and ready to greet the day.

"You don't have to worry!" she proudly declared, reciting his words as she walked out the door, "I'll never stop smiling as long as I have you!"

* * *

Upon making her way out of her apartment, Leaf's eyes were quickly enveloped by the morning sun and quickly raised her arm to shield them from it. " _Whoa! That's bright!_ " she thought as she stepped outside.

It took a few seconds, for Leaf's eyes to adapt to the brightness and when they did, she was met with the sight of Saffron City's morning bustle. Everybody was walking around, carrying on with their daily lives without a care in the world and Leaf could only sigh as she watched them pass by.

Unlike everybody else in the city, she had no urgent matters to worry about, no job to go to or boyfriend to hassle her; just a simple trip to the market and that's all her day entailed. Being jobless made her feel useless to society and detached from the very people that she once called her customers.

" _No….I won't let this get to me_!" she defiantly thought to herself, " _I need to focus on moving on with my life!_ "

With a quick shake of her head, Leaf turned and began making her way towards the local market. However, despite having a set direction in mind, Leaf's thoughts continued to dwell on the past and without realizing it, had unintentionally walked into territory that was all too familiar to her.

" _This is…._ "

Before she knew it, Leaf was standing face to face with the very building that was once her place of employment: Sunflora Daycare Centre.

However, no one would know that considering everything, even the indistinguishable sign that used to loom above the daycare, was all taken down.

"Oh my god…." Leaf whispered as she stared at the empty husk that was once her daycare. This was the first time she'd seen it since the day it had closed and somehow it looked even more unrecognizable than before. All signs indicating that it was once the Sunflora Daycare Centre had been completely stripped down and upon peering inside, Leaf saw just how dusty and unkempt the interior had become in that time. The only unique difference was the huge "FOR SALE" sign plastered on the front window and even though it was only slight before, Leaf could feel that dark void in her heart increasingly building up inside her. She really missed her daycare and desired nothing more than to relive those fun-filled days working beside her friends and doing what she loved best: helping Pokemon.

Her eyes began to fill with water and tears slowly streamed down her cheeks as she just stood there staring at it for what seemed like forever. It was like she was in a trance and it wasn't until Leaf heard somebody yell out. "HEY! COME BACK HERE!" at the top of their lungs that she was brought back to reality.

"H-huh?" Leaf stammered, quickly turning around to see what all the commotion was about, only to see quite the particular sight taking place in front of her.

Just across the road, two spherical objects were floating freely through the air and giving chase was none other than a certain red-capped individual she knew….all too well.

"T-that's-"

"GOTCHA!" he declared, leaping in the air before Leaf could even finish her thoughts and finally grabbing hold of the objects he'd been pursuing.

Leaf could only watch with a look of utter disbelief as the owner of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre came crashing down to the ground and began panting furiously.

"Ha…..HA!" he laughed between breaths, "Now…THAT'S….how you….catch em all!"

Although he wasn't aware of it, Red's ridiculous actions had brought the slightest of smiles to Leaf's mouth as it caused her to suddenly forget all her problems from before. " _What am I even looking at right now?_ " she mused in her head as she watched him humorously dust himself off and readjust his cap.

Despite trying not to laugh, a faint giggle ended up escaping from Leaf's mouth causing Red to curiously look over in her direction and the minute he laid eyes on her, his face totally lit up. "Ms. Leaf Green!" he called out to her and Leaf scrambled to wipe away her tears as he came running over.

Truth be told, ever since their reconciliation with one another, Leaf had found herself unintentionally bumping into the Pokemon Centre's owner quite frequently and while most of their conversations were short and to the point at first, Leaf couldn't help but find herself starting to grow more comfortable talking to Red as time when on. After all, they both loved taking care of pokemon, so it was never difficult to think about things to talk about.

However, that wasn't the case today as Red's bizarre actions caused Leaf to be at a complete loss of how to even start this conversation. "Uhh….Red?" she stammered before bafflingly pointing towards the floating objects that occupied his hand, "What are you doing with those?"

Curious, Red looked up to where she was pointing and smiled. "Oh these?" he chuckled before turning and pointing down the road, "Well there was this balloon vendor down the street and-"

"Balloon….vendor?" Leaf uttered in disbelief as Red's face lit up once again.

"Yeah! But I was having such a hard time choosing between the red balloon and green balloon that I just decided….why not get both?!" he excitedly stated as he lowered the balloons to Leaf's level, "Personally I think they look pretty good together. Don't you think?"

Leaf stared at the balloons in question and raised her eyebrows. Just the sight of the man who ran something as big as the Pokemon Centre standing there, holding a pair of balloons with this goofy smile on his face, was the funniest thing she'd ever seen. In that moment, any and all sadness that she'd been experiencing before had completely melted away; now replaced with a desire to play along.

"I don't know…that depends Red…" she trailed off, placing her finger to her lips before cheekily adding, "Are we still talking about your balloons?"

Red watched as she teasingly winked at him and felt a huge chill run up his spine. "H-huh?" he stammered as his cheeks turned completely flush, "W-what do you mean by that?"

Leaf couldn't help but giggle at his actions. Every time they ran into each other, Red would always have this tinge of nervousness about him whenever they talked and Leaf loved watching him turn flush whenever she teased him. "Hee! Hee! Nothing sweetie!" she playfully replied while patting him on the shoulder, "Don't read too much into it."

Whether she was joking or not, Red just stood there frozen like a statue at what just occurred. " _D-did she just…._ " he stopped before he even had a chance to let that thought sink in, " _You know sometimes I get the feeling that she knows exactly what I'm planning….._ "

Trying to pass it off the best he could, Red quickly snapped out of his thoughts and returned to the conversation at hand. "A-anyway!" he stammered in an attempt to change the subject, "What are you up to today?"

"M-me?" Leaf replied, stunned that he would ask, "Nothing really…remember I don't have a job Red…"

There was definitely a hint of sadness in her words and upon viewing his surroundings, Red suddenly came to a realization as to what it was Leaf was staring at before they began talking.

"I-I was actually just heading to the market." she nervously explained to him, clearly not wanting to address the old daycare, "I just….got a little side tracked…..that's all."

Red watched as she quickly glanced back towards the daycare and sighed. Ever since their talk, he had done everything in his power, both on and offline, to help motivate her. But it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, Leaf was clearly still hurting on the inside and Red wanted nothing more than to think of some way to make her happy.

" _Well Red….you wanted to get to know her better!_ " he sternly lectured himself, finally realizing what it was he needed to do, " _It's now or never!_ "

"T-the market huh…." Red nervously spoke up, baffled at what he was about to ask her next, "If that's the case, do you mind if I tag along?"

A moment of silence followed as Leaf stared at him with a blank expression on her face, unsure of how to even respond to his sudden request. "A-are you serious?!" she finally blurted out causing Red to roll his eyes.

"No…I'm just talking for the sake of talking…." he sarcastically replied, "Of course I'm being serious!"

Leaf couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way this could be true and her eyes quickly darted from side to side as she tried to make sense of all this. "Uhh….don't you have to go to work today Red?" she inquired and he shrugged in response.

"Ah! That's what assistants are for!" Red nonchalantly replied and Leaf giggled in response. She couldn't deny how many times in the past she would have Lyra watch over the daycare, while she ran off to do some other errand on her own.

Still…was she seriously considering spending the day with the man she once considered her adversary? Granted, they had reconciled with one another, but Leaf couldn't deny that there was still a lingering bit of resentment towards him dwelling in her heart.

"W-well…..I don't know Red…."

"Come on, we're friends now aren't we?"

Immediately, Leaf crossed her arms. "Okay! First! We are acquaintances at best right now mister!" she sternly pointed out to him before glancing away, "….and….it's just….aren't you afraid that people might find it weird that you and I are hanging out together?"

Red let out a deep sigh. If that was truly her reason for not wanting him to come along, then it was a really flimsy one. "Leaf, I couldn't honestly care less about what people think and you shouldn't either." he lectured before issuing her an ultimatum, "Tell you what, if we go and you're not enjoying yourself, then you're free to leave anytime, I won't stop you. "

There was a pause and a smile curled on Red's face as Leaf intriguingly glanced towards him, "But I guarantee you that won't be the case!" he confidently stated before extending his hand to her. "So whatta say?"

Leaf sighed in response, could hanging out with Red really be that bad? With Lyra working at the Pokemon Centre and Cynthia abroad, she really had no other options for company. Not only that, but with her suspicions high from this morning, Leaf couldn't deny that perhaps hanging around with Red could potentially help her answer a certain…question she'd been pondering for a while as well.

With all that taken into consideration….Leaf finally caved in. "Oh….alright!" she begrudgingly accepted, "I'll let you come with me on one condition…."

"W-what's that?"

A sly smirk formed on Leaf's face as she looked up and pointed to one of the balloons occupying Red's hand. "…you have to surrender that green balloon to me first!"

Red looked up at the balloon in question and smiled, "You drive a hard bargain!" he sarcastically remarked as he passed his green balloon to her. "Alright! Where are going?"

Completely taken in by the moment, it took Leaf a second to figure out how to get to her original destination and she frantically glanced from side trying to remember. "Uhhh….this way!" she finally pointed out and with an unlikely companion by her side, the two made their way to Saffron's local market.

* * *

The market itself was bustling with people from all over the city, all grabbing items they deemed necessary to go about their day. That wasn't the case for Red though as there was only one thing encompassing his mind right now and it sure wasn't the various stalls at the market.

Somehow, someway, the girl he once considered his anonymous online friend was now walking right beside him and as they strolled through the streets of the busy market, Red and Leaf laughed and joked just like they would online. It was a euphoric feeling that Red had never experienced before and he truly wished that the time they were sharing together would last forever.

" _You know….it's strange…_ " Red pondered to himself as he followed Leaf from stall to stall, " _Us hanging around like this….if I didn't know any better I'd say we're on a da-_ "

"Ah! This should help brighten up my apartment!" Leaf cheered as she grabbed a rose from one of the local flower vendors.

"More roses?" Red inquired as she came running back over, "What happened to the ones I gave you?"

"Oh, those died a while ago Red!" Leaf nonchalantly replied and quickly folded her arms as Red began to shake his head at her, "Hey! I tried to take care of them!"

Her protests fell on deaf ears as Red continued to shake his head in disappointment. "Uh-huh…sure Leaf…." he teasingly replied, "Why are you only buying one?"

"Oh…one's good enough for me Red."

Red sighed. Even though she was trying hard to make it seem like she was okay, Leaf's expression said otherwise. It was clear that she just didn't have the money to afford luxuries like this anymore and Red couldn't help but wonder just how long she would be able to hold out without a job to sustain her.

As much as he wanted to offer her a job at the Pokemon Centre, Red promised himself that he wouldn't force that decision upon her. It was something she'd have to do of her own free will.

However, despite his promise, that didn't mean that Red couldn't help her while they were out right now and quickly grabbed 3 more roses from the stand. "Here, you'd better have a couple roommates for this one!" he joked as he placed the roses in Leaf's hand and then quickly pulled out some money, "…and don't worry it's on me!"

Red closed his eyes as he waited for her inevitable decline to his offer….but surprisingly it never came and he instead heard. "Oh, thank you very much!"

Shocked, Red quickly spun around. "You're….not going to object to me paying?" he asked as Leaf shrugged in response.

"Red, I have no job and you're the first man to ever want to buy anything for me." she bluntly admitted to him, "Trust me; I'm taking what I can get!"

Red stared at her in disbelief. Just what kind of experiences did this girl have in the past? "You….haven't had a lot of nice guys in your life have you?" he stated as Leaf smiled and sarcastically patted him on the shoulder.

"Nope! But I could definitely get used to this!"

Red watched as she sauntered past him, brushing the side of his face with her hair as she did and shook his head. _"….I'm just going to take that as:_ _ **thank you Red, I really appreciate your kindness**_ _and just leave it at that…_ " he dully thought to himself.

"Well, that's all the shopping I have to do for today." Leaf exclaimed as she raised her bags in the air, "Thanks for keeping me company Red. I guess you're not as bad to have around as I thought you'd be!"

"Oh….thanks." he disappointingly responded. However, it wasn't what Leaf said that made him disappointed.

It seemed like it was just a few seconds ago that they had arrived at the market and it was already over. For Red, it was really frustrating because even in the short amount of time they'd spent together, it really seemed like they were hitting it off and he still had so much he wanted to talk to her about.

" _God…I'd give anything just to have a couple more minutes with her._ " Red yearned in his head. " _But…would she really stay if I asked her?_ "

"Well! I guess I'll see you around R-"

"Hey! D-do you wanna go for a drink?" Red suddenly blurted out, immediately covering his mouth as he did.

For the second time today, a look of complete disbelief washed over Leaf's face. "Huh?" she confusingly responded as Red continued to trip over his words.

"T-that is! If you're free right now of course!" he attempted to clarify.

Unsure of how to respond to all this, Leaf simply said the first thing that came to her mind. "Uhh…isn't it a little early for that Red?" she teasingly responded causing Red to roll his eyes.

"I didn't mean THAT kind of drink!" he sternly noted. "There's a nice little café just up the road."

Leaf paused, a bit taken back by the fact that he still wanted to spend time with her. "W-well…." It was true that she desired the company but she still couldn't help but find it a bit awkward. "I should really take my groceries back ho-"

"Hey, consider this me making up for the last time we went to a café together." Red suddenly offered before attempting to sweeten the deal, "Come on! I'll buy you whatever you want!"

Leaf giggled, he was trying so hard to get her to stay with him that it was almost…cute. "You sure know how to tempt a girl don't you!" she stated before a smile curled over her face, "Well…if you're going to buy me ANYTHING how can I refuse?"

"Really?!" Red couldn't believe what he was hearing, he honestly didn't think she'd even consider it and performed his own little victory in his head, " _WOW! Score one for Red! Ha-ha!_ "

"Alright then! Let's go! It's not too far away!"

* * *

The café that Red had in mind was a lot more quaint than the one they went to last time. For starters, it was an outdoor café and most importantly of all, Red recognized almost all the items on the menu. Leaf, on the other hand, had absolutely no qualms with his choice and was happy to just be able to relax with a nice drink in what felt like forever.

"No! You're wrong!" Leaf argued while childishly slamming her drink on the table with every word she said, "You're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong!"

"Leaf would you just listen to me for a sec!" Red attempted to argue back while shaking his head at the former daycare owner. "A Pecha berry is way more potent than a Kebia berry when it comes healing poison and you know it!"

Leaf quickly shook her head in disagreement. "In your cheap potions maybe, but not when it comes to home remedies!" she slyly rebutted, trying her best to prove a point, "It's scientifically impossible! Especially with today's technological advancements!"

The blank look of confusion on Red's face said all as he tried to process Leaf's argument. "Scientif…WHAT?!" he shouted in disbelief as Leaf crossed her arms in victory.

"What? No fancy rebuttal Red? she teasingly sassed him, proud that she was finally able to get one-up on her former adversary. "I'm disappointed!"

"That's because your logic doesn't make any sense!" Red declared out at the top of his lungs, "How can there be scientific-technological advancements for a treatment that supposed to be 100% natural and organic?!"

Leaf paused as she took a minute to think about what she'd just said. In all honesty, she was just trying to get Red all riled up and never actually intended for him to argue back. "T-that's…." try as she may, Leaf could not think of a good comeback quickly shot back with, "Oh! Would you just agree with me already! Otherwise you're going to be feeling my wrath!"

"Wrath?"

"Yeah what's that old saying?" Leaf pondered as she touched the side of her face in thought, "Scorning a woman leads to a hellacious fury!"

Surprisingly, there was no response from Red's end and thinking she'd finally got the better of him, Leaf leaned back in her chair with the biggest grin on her face….only to hear him start to chuckle out loud.

"W-what's so funny?" she confusingly stammered as Red shook his head at her.

"That's **hell hath no fury as a woman scorned** Leaf!" he quickly corrected her.

"Oh…..hey it sounded right to me!" Leaf attempted to argue back, but it only served to make Red laugh even louder. "Hey! Stop that laughing!"

"I…..can't!" he snorted between laughs, "I'm…..sorry…..you're just so-hahaha!"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Red nearly fell off his chair from laughing so hard and as she sat there watching him bustling and gusting, Leaf couldn't help but start to laugh as well. "You…crazy…fool!" she giggled in response "What…are…you…even…laughing…a-hahaha!"

Before Leaf knew it she was laughing just as hard as Red, causing everyone in the café to look at them like they were completely crazy.

"A-hem!" Red and Leaf heard a voice announce itself and upon looking up, saw a waiter standing there, frustratingly tapping his shoulder at them. "Can I get you anything else?"

Quickly composing himself, Red looked over to their almost finished drinks. "Uhh….two more lemonades please." he politely asked and the waiter nodded in response.

"…and can we get some Ambipom pretzels too?" Leaf suddenly called out before grabbing her drink and sucking it dry. Right now, it didn't matter who it was she was sitting across from; she was having a great time. "You know all this talk about pokemon treatment takes me back."

"Oh?"

Leaf nodded. "I remember when I first started working at the daycare, I was tasked with taking care of this sick Horsea." she nostalgically recalled while looking down at her feet, "It had been poisoned really bad and no matter how many Pecha berries I gave to it, the poison just wouldn't go away."

"So…what happened?" Red asked, clearly intrigued by this story.

"I ended up having to give it to my mom and she used one of her homemade concoctions to heal it." Leaf admitted to him. "….and when I asked her what was in it, she said that I needed to figure it out on my own."

Red placed his head atop his hand as he listened to her experience. It was strange to think that it was a conversation like this that had brought them together online almost a year ago and now here they were, having the exact same discussion in real life.

"I wonder if, giving it some Tamato berries would have burned up the poison faster?" Red suggested, causing Leaf to give him a confused look in return.

"Yeah, but wouldn't that cause acid reflux in Horsea's stomach?"

Red shook his head. "No, because it's a water type, the Tamato berry's spiciness would actually be balanced out." he casually explained as the waiter returned with their order in hand and laid it out on the table, "Oh, thank you!"

Leaf was stunned and even though she wouldn't admit it to Red outright, was amazed at just how knowledgeable the Pokemon Centre's owner actually was. "You know for a corporate suit, you sure know a lot about natural remedies!" she teased as she began to dig into her plate of Ambipom pretzels.

"Wow…it's almost like I run a business that takes care of sick pokemon…." he sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes as he watched her chomp down pretzel after pretzel, "Speaking of which, how's the job hunt coming?"

No sooner did he ask that and Leaf immediately looked up from her plate. Of all things she hoped he wouldn't ask, that was it. "W-well…like I told you before, I have….a lot of options…." she nervously explained before lowering her head, "Just…none that really interest me…"

Red sighed. He wished Leaf would just cave and ask for a job at the Pokemon Centre. But, whether it was out of fear or pride, she still refused to ask him.

"Maybe….that's for the best…." he shrugged causing Leaf too confusingly look up at him, "Because….if you did have a job, you wouldn't be able to spend time with me."

His statement nearly caused Leaf to spit out the food she'd been chewing. "You think I enjoy spending time with you? Don't flatter yourself sweetie!" she exclaimed, vainly flipping her hair the process, "Trust me I've got better things to do and better men to do them with!"

" _Uh-huh….you just keep telling yourself that Luckygirl! I know where your heart truly lies._ "

However, all jokes aside, Red couldn't deny that after all the time they'd spent together today, he had almost all but completely forgotten that Leaf still viewed him as a completely different person when they chatted online.

Now that he was thinking about it, Red was curious: Did "standing her up" at the café change Leaf's mind about his online persona?

Granted, it definitely seemed like seemed like she had forgiven him since then, but Red wanted to make sure and with Leaf still not knowing who he really was, figured there was no better opportunity than now to bring up his…"other self"

"That's right! I totally forgot about that online guy who was supposed to meet you at the café!" Red stated, comically slapping his head to appear oblivious, "Whatever became of that?"

The minute he asked, Leaf recoiled in shock. Not only because she'd completely forgot that Red knew about her mystery man, but also because of her other suspicions as well. "W-what do you care?" Leaf quickly responded, her face becoming increasingly flush at the mere mention of him.

"I'm just curious, that's all."

Leaf nervously twirled a strand of her long brunette hair with her finger. Whether Red was her mystery man or not, he DID know about him, so it made sense for him to ask.

Still, it had been so long since she had discussed her mystery man with anyone, let alone the man in front of her and Leaf didn't even know where exactly to begin. "W-well….he never actually showed up after you left…." she timidly explained causing Red to raise his eyebrows.

"He stood you up huh?"

"H-he didn't stand me up! He was…just unable to make it that night!" Leaf instantly rebutted before a small smile made its way onto her face, "Thankfully we patched things up and are now back to messaging each other on a regular basis."

Even though Leaf couldn't see it, Red was positively beaming on the inside. Ever since that night, he'd wondered if she'd truly forgiven him or not and now that he had his answer, there was only one more question he was dying to know.

"You still want to meet him though right?" Red finally asked and watched as Leaf glanced down at the ground and with her face completely flush, slowly nodded in response.

"Yes….more than anything."

Red could feel his heart start to beat out of his chest. Even after everything that had happened, she desired to meet with him. He was ecstatic but also scared to death at the same time because now the question was….when to reveal himself?

Obviously, he couldn't reveal himself right now. They had only just started getting to know each other and Leaf would probably flip her lid if he told her the truth.

He really wanted to get to know her better before telling her, but….how long would that take? How long would he be willing to keep up this charade until he felt comfortable enough to tell her?

Days? Months? Years? Red didn't know how long it would take.

Only thing he did know was this: As long as he didn't tell her, he didn't have to worry….because then nothing would change….

As such, Red leaned back in his chair and resumed his oblivious persona. "I see….sounds like a great guy…." he noted before raising his eyebrows and jokingly adding. "….it must have sucked that you got me instead that night huh?"

As if on cue, Leaf rolled her eyes back and let out a huge sigh. "Oh! It was a traumatic experience for me alright!" she sarcastically remarked before letting out another sigh and taking a sip of her drink. "Coming to that café expecting one thing and getting the complete opposite instead!"

"I'll bet." Red dully replied, "Your friend Lyra told me that I'm apparently only a meager 6/10 on your scale."

Leaf's face turned bright red, embarrassed that her pig-tailed friend would even dare to reveal something like that. "W-well Lyra clearly doesn't know what the hell she's talking about because I said you were a 6.1!" she quickly shot back causing Red to shake his head in disbelief.

"Leaf….you're not helping your case right now…"

"I know!" she teasingly replied as she leaned forward with the biggest grin on her face, "What's the big bad Pokemon Centre owner going to do about it?"

Red paused as he glanced around, trying to think of the best way to get her back. "Well for starters…." he trailed off as his eyes glanced down at his target "I'm taking your last pretzel!"

Leaf recoiled in shock as Red quickly swiped her last Ambipom pretzel and held it in front of her face. "Hey! I was saving that!" she yelled out as she reached across the table to try and stop him.

Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain as Red swiftly chomped it down right in front of her. "Too late now!" he teased before deciding to return to the subject at hand, "So tell me more about this mystery man of yours. What's his username?"

"W-well…."

"Leaf, I'm not going to look the guy up! Just tell me."

"….Thechampion151." she meekly revealed to him.

Red took a minute to let that sink in. He never stopped to think about just how ridiculous his username sounded and hearing it come out of Leaf's mouth made it feel….both bizarre and awesome at the same time.

"Wow…" he stated as he began to chuckle to himself, "That's….a pretty bold name!"

Despite his best attempts, Red just couldn't hold it in any longer and began laughing hysterically at just how ridiculous this situation truly was.

"H-hey! Don't laugh at me…." Leaf stammered and Red quickly composed himself upon seeing just how embarrassed she looked.

"I'm sorry Leaf; trust me I'm not laughing at you." he reassured her before rubbing his chin in thought, "Champion…..champion of what I wonder?"

"I think it's a reference to the champion of the region." Leaf quickly declared in defense of her mystery man, "…and the 151 is a reference to how many pokemon there are in the pokedex."

"No…that's too obvious…" Red quickly dismissed; even though she was exactly right.

"Alright genius, what do you think it stands for?!'

Red lowered his head and a smile curled over his face. Even though he hated having to put on this front for Leaf, if he was going to act, Red figured he'd at least have some fun with it.

"It's it obvious?" he stated and with slight shrug, bluntly reviled that, "It means he's married!"

Words could not describe the look on Leaf's face as she tried to process what was just said to her. "Wha-" she mouthed, unsure of how to respond to such a claim before slamming her hand on the table. "Red he is not married!"

"Oh yeah and how do you know that?" Red slyly noted causing Leaf to freeze up once again.

"I-I don't! But still!"

"…and that explains what the 151 stands for!" he continued to lay it on, "It's the amount of wives he's had prior to meeting you!"

Leaf's eyes widened. "151 marriages?!" she exclaimed in disbelief as Red nodded in reassurance.

"Yep and that would make you 152!"

Fully expecting some witty comeback on her behalf, Red was shocked when he saw Leaf just sitting there frozen like a statue. It was clear the idea of her mystery man being married had never crossed her mind since she'd began talking to him and didn't even considered it a possibility until now.

"You're….actually considering this aren't you?" Red teased her, trying so hard not to laugh at how she looked right now.

"O-of course not!" Leaf stammered as she quickly turned away, "How could a ridiculous assumption like that be tru-"

*BEEP* *BEEP*

A loud beeping noise suddenly cut her off and she watched as Red hastily reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Hello?" he announced to whomever he was talking too on the other end. "Uh-huh….uh-huh….right now?"

Leaf noticed the look of disappointment on Red's face as he continued talking to the person on the phone. It was clear that he was reluctant to do whatever was being asked of him, but still agreed to it in the end. "Alright…I'll be right there."

"Who was that?" Leaf asked as Red hung up his phone and put it back in his pocket.

"Work…." he disappointingly revealed as he stood up.

Leaf watched as Red suddenly placed a bunch of bills on the table. Everything was all happening so fast; she didn't even have time to react. "Y-you're leaving?" she asked and Red could only nod in response as he scrambled to get his stuff together.

"Sorry, but it's urgent." he revealed before turning to face Leaf, "But….I enjoyed our random little outing we had today Ms. Green."

Leaf rolled her eyes at his formality. "Oh would you stop with that! Just call me Leaf!" she stated before crossing her arms, "…and….yeah! I guess having you around wasn't so bad after all!"

However, despite her attempts to seem disinterested, that couldn't be further from the truth and as Leaf watched Red put on his jacket, she couldn't help but feel…disappointed to see him go so soon.

"H-hey Red!" she called out, causing him to turn around, "All joking aside, thank you for coming out with me today, I really had a great time."

"Yeah me too," Red noted as he stared at her longingly. He really didn't want to leave her either and could feel the sweat start to roll down his forehead as he realized what he needed to ask next, "S-so does that mean I can….see you again?"

Leaf giggled as she noticed his face begin to turn flush. Just the sight of Red acting nervous in front of her made Leaf so giddy and she was going to milk this moment for all it was worth. "Hmm…that depends…" she stated while stroking her chin.

"D-depends on what?"

"If you can find me!"

Red watched as she turned and teasingly winked at him, knowing she clearly had him in the palm of her hand right now. "Wha…." he mouthed in disbelief, "Why don't you just give me your number?!"

"Hey! Just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm just going to hand over my number to you!" Leaf exclaimed as she sternly pointed at him, "You have to earn it first mister!"

"Earn it?!"

Leaf giggled, she driving this poor guy crazy and was loving every minute of it. She figured that if her suspicions were correct and Red was truly her mystery man, he should have no problem accomplishing this task.

Meanwhile, on the end of the spectrum, Red truly was losing his mind. Here he thought that knowing the truth would give him the advantage when they talked, but somehow this girl had managed to turn it around on him.

" _Seriously?! Who's playing who here?!"_ he bafflingly thought to himself before turning to her and proudly stating. "Okay fine! Challenge accepted!"

If this is what it was going to take to see Leaf again, then he had no problem playing along.

*RIIIINNNGGGG*

The sound of Red's phone rang out again, alerting him that his time was truly up. "Okay! I really gotta go now!" he stated as he began running down the road, waving to her as he did, "Take care and watch out for that married guy!"

Leaf blushed as he threw that stupid idea at her once again. "You wish he was married!" she shouted back to him, but it was too late, Red was already half way up the road.

With that, Leaf sat back down in her seat and began rubbing her temple. " _ **You wish he was married?**_ " she embarrassingly thought to herself, " _Great comeback Leaf…._."

* * *

Thanks to his encounter with Leaf completely preoccupying his mind while at work, the day passed by quite quickly for Red and before he knew it, he was back at home, making a B-line for his computer room.

"Alright Luckygirl, after all that talk today, let's see what you're really thinking!" he mused as he logged into his email account only to discover a very peculiar message in his inbox.

 **FROM: LUCKYGIRL**

 **Hey, I know this might sound kinda creepy and out of the blue but….I've been thinking a lot about you today and a question popped in my mind that I really need to know the answer too.**

 **Are you….married?**

Red stared dumbfounded at the message for a second before bursting out laughing. "So much for her not caring if I was married or not!" he mused to himself before quickly typing his response back and sending it off.

"Oh Leaf….I had so much fun today…" Red sighed; biting his lip as he slowly turned his PC off. "I just…hope it doesn't stop when I finally do tell you the truth…"

* * *

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, having already messaged her mystery man as soon as she got home, Leaf ended up spending the rest of her day mulling over the idea that Red put in her head.

"No..no…he can't be married! He can't!" she muttered to herself over and over as she paced around her apartment. "Oh! I hope he hurries up and messages me ba-"

*DING*

"There it is!"

Like lightning, Leaf rushed over to her PC and logged in, desperate to see her mystery mans response.

" _Oh please….please….please…_."

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good evening,**

 **Well that's….a pretty out of the blue question for you to be asking….very unlike you my dear ;)**

 **But…it's a fair question none the less and I can reassure you without a shadow of a doubt that I am NOT married.**

 **Trust me, I would never lead you on this far, only to tell you at the last minute that I'm already hitched. That is unless…..YOU'RE married and you're asking me so we can be married together ;)**

 **In all seriousness, hopefully this eases any doubt you may have had :)**

 **Good night!**

Leaf finished reading the message and breathed a sigh of relief. "Good….I knew you weren't married….why would you be?" she whispered, before defiantly crossing her arms, "Ugh! Curse that Red for putting such a stupid idea in my head! I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him he was wrong!"

Suddenly Leaf froze as that thought sunk in her mind. "Wait…am I really saying that I want to see him again?" she muttered as she shook her head in disbelief. "Boy…I really am going crazy if that's the case!"

However, despite her frustrations at the Pokemon Centre's owner, Leaf couldn't deny that she really enjoyed her time with him today. It had been so long that Leaf had forgotten what it was like to go out and laugh with someone.

"You sure did surprise me today…" she mused as she walked over to her new vase full of roses that he had bought for her and slid her finger over one of the petals.

"Whether you are who I think you are or not…." Leaf whispered, pausing as a smile curled over her face, "I'll never forget what you did for me today…"

"…thank you Red."

* * *

 **Hello everyone, it's been awhile huh? I really apologize for making you guys wait for this one and I suppose I should probably explain what's been going on. Honestly...I don't know what happened. I was coming along with this chapter really well and then March hit and my motivation for writing suddenly just dropped. I don't know if it was because March was just a busy month in general or because Breath of Wild came out and that took up a lot of my time (Great game btw!), but I just had no desire to write. Then when I finally did pick this back up, no matter what I did, I just could not make this chapter work and in the end, decided to split the original chapter 11 I had planned into two (Which I think was the best move by the way!). Hopefully, because I already have a good start on the second half, Chapter 12 shouldn't take as long as this one and now the length this story increases to 14 chapters instead of the original 10 (I still can't believe that!)**

 **Once again I deeply apologize for making you guys wait and I really appreciate your patience. As always, let me know what you think of this chapter as I always love reading your feedback and it really helps give me that motivation!**

 **Take Care and I'll see ya next chapter!**

 **P.S: I have to credit Sarah Kay for coining the term: _Ambipom Pretzel_ , I couldn't have thought of it without you**


	12. Chapter 12: Falling for You

**Hello Ladies and Gentleman, you've probably been wondering where I've been and why this has taken so long to come out? Well...fact is, what started off as just a simple second half to chapter 11, ended up evolving into the biggest chapter I've ever written. As such, it took me alot longer to finish and for those of you who prefer the smaller chapters...I apologize. In the end, it was either this or split it up again and honestly, I don't want to delay this story any longer than it already has been.**

 **So...in saying that, grab yourself a drink and strap yourself in for the long haul! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Falling for You

It is often said that no matter the person, we all wear a mask to hide our true self from time to time and for a certain red-capped individual, those words could not ring any truer as he attempted to woo a particular brunette haired girl that he loved more than anything.

Ever since their first outing together, Red and Leaf began meeting with one another on daily basis and as such Red would have to seamlessly adjust his personality based on the situation.

When they were physically together he was Red, the steadfast owner of Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre: strong, efficient and all business. However, when the day was done and their conversation moved to that separate dimension of life known as the internet, he became THECHAMPION151: the caring, wise lover of all things Pokemon.

At first, adjusting to these changes in personality proved to be almost….humorous. He would often ask Leaf questions that would make her all flustered and defiant towards the real him….only for her to reiterate the same question to his online persona mere hours later. As mean as it was, Red enjoyed playfully toying with her like this and seeing her cute reactions were always good for a quick chuckle.

However, as the days passed and they began spending more time with one another, something began to happen that Red couldn't have ever predicted. With every day that was spent together, they, in turn, began to grow closer to one another and the closer they got, the harder it became to keep this little charade up.

Red desperately wanted to tell her the truth and yet...the fear of what potentially could happen if he did, kept him from doing so. He had grown so fond of the "real" Leaf Green that he would just push the idea of revealing himself to the side in hopes that she would just forget about his online persona and accept the real him for who he really was. That was his hope at least and as such, Red currently found himself standing across the road from a small apartment complex on Lapras Lane, ready to put on yet another show for the girl he cared so much about.

* * *

Much to his dismay, Leaf had insisted on this idea of "finding her" every time they met and since he didn't have any way to contact her, Red had no choice but to play along. Granted, finding Leaf was never really an issue anyway. They had a particular spot they would meet up at every day and Leaf always kept to a very regular schedule that Red had grown accustomed to. As such, he figured that today it would be easier to just wait by her apartment until she came out and as luck would have it, Red brought along a special friend to help him pass the time.

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cheered in excitement as they watched person after person hastily pass them by.

Red smirked as the yellow pokemon once again eagerly ran from one shoulder to another in hopes that Leaf would soon emerge from her apartment. "Okay! Okay! Take it easy Pikachu." he chuckled as he curiously looked down at his watch, "It shouldn't be too much longer. Leaf doesn't usually get up until 9:00 anyway."

Despite its trainer's words, Pikachu couldn't contain its excitement and started to eagerly bounce up and down. It had been a long time since the tiny electrical pokemon had seen Leaf and couldn't wait to see her again.

"It shouldn't be long now!" Red happily stated and after a quick survey to see if Leaf had emerged, paused as he suddenly recognized a familiar figure walking amongst the crowd towards them.

"Hey! That's…."

The figure's bright yellow hat quickly gave him away and Red watched as he began to unknowingly walk right past him without even a passing glance.

"Ethan…."

"Hey Red…" Ethan nonchalantly replied and proceeded to continue walking a few steps before realization finally set in, "Red?!"

The look of utter disbelief on Ethan's face as he spun around made Red chuckle as his assistant came running over. "You must be really eager to get to work if you didn't notice me!" he teased as Ethan scratched his head in response.

"Uhh….yeah….I guess I was…." he confusingly replied, his eyes rapidly darting from side to side as he tried to make sense of his boss's mysterious actions, "Umm…what are you and Pikachu doing?"

"Oh…we're just….hanging out."

"I see….." Ethan trailed off, rapidly nodding before he finally asked the obvious question that was burning in his mind, " **WHY** are you just standing here?"

Red shrugged. "No reason…." he simply replied, turning to his yellow partner to clarify, "Right Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!"

Not satisfied with his boss's answer, Ethan curiously glanced around and quickly realized what Red's intentions were. "Uh-huh…" he chuckled, a sly smile forming on his face as he glanced across the road. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that Leaf Green girl living in the apartment just across the road, right?"

Red remained silent, however, the faint blush on his cheeks was all that Ethan needed to answer his question. "Word on the street is you two have been getting pretty close with one another lately," he noted as his boss nodded in response.

"Yes….her and I have been hanging around quite a bit…" he shyly admitted before anxiously looking down at his watch, "That's strange….usually she's out by now."

"You're clocking her?"

"W-well she keeps these weird hours you see." Red stammered in an attempt to explain his actions, "Very…interesting woman."

"Uh-huh." Ethan duly responded; seeing right through Red's obvious want to meet with her, "Say what you want, I think you've legitimately got the hots for her!"

Red blushed and before he could even grace Ethan with an answer, his attention was grabbed by someone suddenly calling his name.

"RED!"

The distinct feminine voice caused both Red and Ethan to glance up and upon looking across the road, saw the former daycare owner standing there, clad in her usual get up.

Red's heart fluttered at the mere sight of her and watched as she unceremoniously dodged traffic in order to get to him at the other side of the road.

"Hi Leaf!" he happily greeted, as she heavily panted from her sprint across the road.

"Hi! It's good to se-" Before Leaf could finish that statement; she quickly paused and cleared her throat, "I-I mean…fancy meeting you here!"

As if on cue, Red quickly donned his Pokemon Centre Owner persona as well. "Same goes to you." he somewhat sternly replied as she crossed her arms in response.

"I'm impressed you were able to find me so quickly today."

Red noticed Leaf flash him a cocky grin and instinctively grinned back. "Well, I made an educated guess as to where I could potentially bump into you the fastest and I suppose it paid off."

Ethan watched in bewilderment as Red and Leaf continued teasingly bantering back and forth between one another; only to become even more confused when they suddenly broke out into a fit of laughter. " _Am I….missing something here?_ " he confusingly thought as he watched Leaf bend down to Pikachu's level.

"Hey! I remember you!" she exclaimed as the electrical pokemon happily jumped into her arms.

"Pikachu really wanted to see you again so I brought him along."

Leaf giggled as the tiny electrical pokemon playfully nuzzled her face. "Aww that's sweet!" she replied, while gently stroking its head, "Have you been good? No more getting poisoned?"

"Pika…Pika…" Pikachu bashfully replied, fully remembering how Leaf saved it when they first met.

Not wanting to be rude, Leaf then turned her attention to the yellow capped individual standing next to Red.

"….and who is this?"

"This?" Red paused as he glanced over Ethan's way, completely forgetting he was even still there. "This is Ethan my assista-"

Before he could even finish, Ethan had already rushed over to introduce himself. "Ms. Green! It's an honor to meet you! I'm a huge fan!" he happily exclaimed causing Red to cover his face in embarrassment.

" _Oh-no….I've just turned a Taurus lose in a pottery shop….._ "

Leaf was completely caught off guard as the yellow capped individual suddenly grabbed her hand and began to hastily shake it. "Uhh…fan?" she confusingly replied before suddenly coming to a realization, "Wait….I feel like I've seen you somewhere before…."

Shocked that someone like Leaf would recognize him, Ethan watched in anticipation as she suddenly snapped her fingers. "That's right! It was at the party a while back!" she exclaimed causing Ethan to give her a smug shrug in response.

"Is that so?" he suavely replied, vainly running his hand through his hair as he did, "Well…what can I say….I AM pretty noticeabl-"

"You were the one getting slapped by every girl in attendance!" Leaf suddenly exclaimed causing Ethan's face to go white as a sheet.

"Uhh…I...uhh…"

Seeing that she struck a nerve, Leaf smirked as she watched him trip over his words.

"W-well…you know what they say: if at first, you don't succeed try try again!" he tried to explain, but it only caused the smirk on Leaf's face to grow even bigger.

"I see…" she noted before curiously returning to the question at hand, "So tell me Ethan….just….what part of me are you a fan of?"

"Uhh…well actually it's not just one thing Ms. Green!" Ethan stated, a sly smile forming on his lips as looked her up and down, "There's actually various parts of you that I really find attr-OWW!"

Suddenly and without warning, Ethan felt a sharp pain radiate down his side and upon looking over, saw his boss standing there with his hat tilted over his eyes. "What was that for?!" he harshly exclaimed, but Red refused to look over at him.

"Sorry….my hand must have slipped…" he hollowly responded.

"Well, it hurt!"

"I know…I hate it when it does that…."

Red sighed. Hanging out with Leaf was nerve wracking enough for him and having Ethan around sure wasn't helping that fact. "Ethan….don't you think it's time you headed to the Pokemon Centre?" he asked, hoping that his yellow-capped assistant would take the hint.

However, his words would only fall on deaf ears as in a fit of ogling, his assistant simply replied with. "No…why would I do that Red?"

Red paused, forcing the biggest grin he could in an attempt to not lose his cool. "Because…." he muttered before grabbing Ethan's arm and harshly whispering in his ear, "If you DON'T….you may soon find yourself not having a job to go to!"

No sooner did he say that and Ethan's eyes widened as far as they could go. He had gotten so caught up in the moment that he completely forgot he was in charge of running the pokemon centre today. "Y-yes boss! R-right away!" Ethan stammered as he quickly turned back to Leaf, "U-umm…I have to go now! It was nice meeting you!"

Before she could even respond, Ethan was already running as fast as he could down the road and Leaf giggled as she watched Red shake his head in embarrassment. "I apologize on behalf of my gender," he stated in hopes that she wasn't too offended by what his assistant had said to her.

"It's okay." she nonchalantly replied before winking at him, "I thought it was pretty cute!"

Red's eyes widened, stunned by her reaction. "You WHAT?" he stated in disbelief and watched as Leaf covered her mouth in amusement.

"Hee! Hee! I'm just joking sweetie!" she teased and Red breathed a huge sigh of relief as she did.

"Oh…good…you had me a bit worried for a sec."

"Worried?"

"Y-yeah…." he hesitantly replied before turning and raising his eyebrows, "I thought I might have to start acting like that when I'm around you."

Leaf chuckled, just the mere thought of Red doing something like that to please her amused the brunette haired girl to no end. "I don't know….I might like watching you act like that." she slyly replied, teasingly nudging him in the side as she played along.

"R-really?"

"Yeah! Then I could slap you across your face and not feel bad about it!"

Red stared at her, unamused as she proceeded to jokingly tap his cheek with her hand. "Oh ha-ha! Very funny Leaf…" he muttered before gesturing down the road. "Shall we?"

* * *

With that, Red and Leaf commenced their daily routine which mainly consisted of them going to their usual café and sharing various pokemon stories over cold drinks.

It was strange to think that Red had initially brought Leaf here on their first outing as an excuse to spend more time with her and it ended up becoming their usual meeting spot.

"Okay! So….I want your honest opinion on something." Leaf curiously stated as Red took a sip of his drink, "Rawst berries or Yache berries when it comes to healing burns?"

"Rawst berries obviously." he confidently answered, "Yache berries can only temporarily cool off a burnt area, while Rawst berries are able to instantly absorb the heat."

Much to Red's confusion, no sooner did he finish his explanation and Leaf suddenly began snickering at his response. "What's so funny?" he wondered as he curiously looked over at her.

"My mystery man said the exact same thing when I asked him that the other day." Leaf playfully noted as she began scanning Red up and down, "I just find that very….interesting that you would have the same opinion…."

Red could feel all the colour suddenly wash from his face as a cold chill ran down his spine. Now that he had begun hanging out with Leaf in real life, slip ups like this were becoming much more frequent as Red would often lose track of what was said between his two personas. "D-did he now?" he stammered as he frantically tried to think of a way out of this, "I guess…..great minds think alike huh?"

Despite his best attempts, the look on Leaf's face wouldn't change. Did she have him figured out? Red didn't know and to be honest he didn't want to know. With every day that the two shared together, Red secretly wished that she would just forget his online persona even existed and desperately wanted to find a way to make that happen.

But he didn't have time to worry about that now and needed to focus on finding a way off this line of questioning before Leaf truly did piece it together.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

A loud beeping noise suddenly rang out from Red's wristwatch causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look it.

" _Phew! Saved by the bell!_ " Red thankfully thought to himself as Pikachu began to dance around.

"Pika! Pi!"

"That's right buddy it's time!" he happily exclaimed as he clicked the timer off and turned to the confused brunette haired girl in front of him.

"Time for what?" she confusingly wondered as Red stood up and placed some money on the table, "I thought you said you had the morning off?"

No sooner did she say that and Red began nervously scratching the back of his neck. "W-well…we're….uhh…" he continued stumbling over his words, unsure if he should tell her his plans or not before finally blurting out. "W-we're going to the battle square!"

"Battle….square?" Leaf intriguingly replied, "You're a….pokemon battler?"

"Y-yeah!" Red stammered, knowing full well how she reacted to the concept of pokemon battling once before. "Pikachu and I try to go at least once a week."

"I see…in that case, do you mind if I tag along?"

Red couldn't believe what he was hearing and out of complete shock, blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "But you told me you didn't unde-"

Immediately, Red covered his mouth before he could say another word. He had nearly revealed himself and while Leaf stared at him with a confused look on her face, Red cleared his throat.

"I-I mean, I just….figured as someone who takes care of pokemon, you wouldn't be interested in something like this."

"W-well, to be honest, I've never really understood the appeal of it." Leaf admitted to him before glancing down at the ground with a faint blush on her cheeks. "But my mystery man always raves about how great pokemon battling is and…..maybe it's time to see what it's all about."

Red couldn't hide the giant smile that had formed on his face. Whether she was doing this for his false persona or not, the idea that Leaf was going to come watch him fight excited Red more than anything. "O-okay then!" he exclaimed and in a fit of happiness, quickly grabbed her hand and began sprinting down the road, "Come on! Let's go!"

"H-hey! S-slow down Red!"

* * *

With Red running as fast as he could and Leaf doing her best to keep up, the pair were en route to Saffron's residential battle spot and before she knew it, Leaf was sitting front row at one of the square's many battlefields watching what would be her very first pokemon battle.

It was Red's Pikachu versus a very powerful trainer and his Rhydon and despite having the type disadvantage; the tiny electrical pokemon was making short work of its adversary.

"Alright Pikachu! Let's finish this up with Iron Tail!" Red sternly commanded, tipping his hat over his eyes as his yellow partner charged forward. In an instant, Pikachu leapt in the air and with its tail shining silver, slammed it across Rhydon's face. The ensuing blow sent the massive pokemon crashing to the ground, knocking it out instantly.

"Rhydon is unable to battle!" the announcer yelled out, "Victory goes to trainer Red and his Pikachu!"

The cheers from the crowd were almost deafening and even though Leaf wasn't entirely sold on the idea of pokemon battling, she found herself cheering just as loud as everyone else the minute Red was victorious.

" _So this is what my mystery man was always going on about…."_ Leaf pondered as she watched Red celebrate in the middle of the battlefield. " _It was definitely….thrilling!_ "

* * *

After the match had ended, Red headed over to the nearby prize tent to collect his winnings while Leaf stayed behind with Pikachu.

It had been awhile since Leaf had gotten the chance to take care of a hurt pokemon and quickly jumped at the opportunity to briefly relive her days as a pokemon healer. As luck would have it, she still had some spare home remedies in her bag and quickly got to work on healing the small electrical pokemon.

"Hold still Pikachu." Leaf calmly stated as she held the electrical pokemon in her arms, "I gotta apply this on your wound."

That said, Leaf smiled as she slowly began to spray out the contents of the bottle. "You know…for such a little pokemon you sure pack a mean punch." she mused to it, "But….don't you get tired of getting hurt every battle?"

Leaf watched as Pikachu looked up at her and shrugged. "Pika…..Pika…" it nonchalantly replied.

"True….I guess that's what people like me are for huh…." she chuckled as she sprayed the last of the bottle's contents. "I'll admit….it does look pretty fun!"

With that Leaf, placed the bottle down and noticing that its wound had dissipated; Pikachu happily jumped up on her shoulder and hugged the side of her face.

"Hahaha! You're welcome!" Leaf happily replied before reaching into her pocket, "Hey! While we're waiting, do you want a little post-battle snack? Red told me you really like these."

Pikachu's eyes sparkled as Leaf pulled a rare candy from her pocket and began to hop around. "Pikachu! Pika!" it excitedly called out as she began to take off the wrapper.

"Okay! Okay! Here you g-"

In its fit of happiness, Pikachu accidentally knocked the wrapper out of Leaf's hand, causing the small candy to slip from her fingers onto the pavement below.

"Oh-no!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as well and not wanting the rare candy to go to waste, leapt off Leaf's shoulder to begin pursuing the rogue treat as it bounced its way down the road.

* * *

Thanks to its nimbleness, it didn't take long for Pikachu to catch up to the rogue candy and after a few seconds of hot pursuit, the electrical pokemon finally pounced down on its target, happily cheering as it held it high above its head.

"Pika! Pi! Pika!"

However, whatever joy it was experiencing was suddenly dashed as Pikachu realized that Leaf was nowhere to be seen. It was so preoccupied with chasing the rare candy that it had left her behind and was now completely alone.

"Pi….Pika?" It called out and was just about to start heading back when all of a sudden Pikachu felt a huge surge of pain rush through its tail.

"PIKA!" It screamed and as first reaction would have it, prematurely released a giant bolt of lightning from its cheeks.

In the ensuing moments that followed; a high pitched scream enveloped Pikachu's ears and upon looking up, saw a very imposing girl glaring down at it with daggers in her eyes.

"Hey! What's the big idea short stuff?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Think you can just go around shocking people?!"

Pikachu didn't know how to respond, all it could do was hold its throbbing tail as the girl continued to rip into it.

"You know I have the right mind to teach you a less-"

"PIKACHU!"

The electrical pokemon quickly turned around as it heard its name being called, feeling a rush of relief as Leaf came running over.

"I've been looking all over for you."

"Are you this little rats trainer?!" A voice suddenly yelled out to her and upon looking over, Leaf saw a very upset looking girl standing there with her hands on her hips. She wore a preppy looking white top and blue skirt; attire, not all that different from her own. However, her brunette hair was definitely distinct from Leaf's; having a frizzy style to it that couldn't have been natural.

"W-well actually I'm-"

"I'll have you know that I was electrocuted by that little menace!" the girl immediately cut her off, "Just look at what it did to my hair!"

Seeing just how out of hand this was becoming, Leaf tried her best to calm the girl down. "Well I'm sure it didn't mean to hurt you," she reassured, but her words fell on deaf ears as the girl just continued ranting about her hair.

Seeing that it was a fruitless effort, Leaf blocked her out as she leaned down to Pikachu's level and quickly noticed that it was babying its tail. "Hey….what's wrong?" she asked and upon removing its stubby hands from the area, quickly saw what the problem was: a huge part of Pikachu's tail was throbbing immensely and Leaf gasped as she angrily turned towards the preppy looking girl, who was still incoherently rambling.

"You're lucky I'm not fining yo-"

"Hey! It's no wonder why you got shocked! You stepped on Pikachu's tail!" Leaf angrily yelled as she pointed to the injured spot, "Just look at how red it is!"

Taken aback by Leaf's tone, the girl quickly went on the defensive. "What did you just say to me red skirt?!" she yelled back and proceeded to get right up in Leaf's face, "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?!"

Leaf smirked, even though she should have been intimidated, this was nothing compared to what she was used to. " _Wow…this is really happening right now…_ " she mused to herself as she watched the girl glare daggers at her.

"Actually I think I have a pretty good idea." Leaf sharply replied back. Whether it was because this woman was reminding her of Blue or not, a burning passion was suddenly building in her heart. "Trust me, compared to what I've had to put up with in the past, you don't intimidate me at all!"

"Is that so?" the girl scoffed in return, "Well if that's the case, maybe I should give you something to be intimated of!"

Like lightning, she suddenly spun around and threateningly pointed towards one of the many battlefields.

"I challenge you and your little rat to a pokemon battle!"

"A….pokemon battle…." Leaf muttered, quickly realizing just how much over her head this was quickly becoming.

"That's right!" she heard the girl call out to her, "That is unless you're too scared to do it!"

Leaf narrowed her eyes as she looked at the preppy girl. Her face had such a smug look on it, the same smug look that Blue would always give her whenever he used to put her down. Before today she hadn't even seen a battle, let alone, consider partaking in one, but right now, Leaf was not about to let this girl talk her down like he did.

"PIIIIKKAAA!" she heard Pikachu growl from her shoulder, fully ready assist Leaf in whatever decision she made and in that moment, Leaf knew what she had to do.

"We're not scared! Right, Pikachu?" she proudly declared to her adversary, "We accept your challenge!"

An evil smile curled over the girl's face, almost as if she knew Leaf had no chance. "Very well." she stated before pointing to one of the squares many fields, "That battlefield in 10 minutes!"

With that, the girl walked away and no sooner did she disappear from Leaf's sight, that all of her previous confidence instantly faded, replaced with utter panic. "What have we gotten ourselves into?!" she worryingly stated to the tiny yellow pokemon on her shoulder and Pikachu could only offer her a look of panic in return. This would be the first time it would have to battle with someone that wasn't Red giving orders.

Completely unsure of themselves, the two continued to worryingly stare at one another until a sudden distraught voice snapped them out of it.

"HEY LEAF!" The voice called out and upon looking over, Leaf and Pikachu saw Red sprinting towards them, panting heavily. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

Leaf nervously glanced around as she faced the pokemon centre's owner. "O-oh Red!" she stammered, completely at a loss of how to explain her current situation. "C-can I ask a favor of you?"

"Favor?" he bafflingly replied causing Leaf and Pikachu to nervously glance at one another. It was clear that whatever this favor was, it couldn't be good, but nothing could prepare Red for what would end up coming out of the former daycare owner's mouth.

"Can you….show me how to fight?"

Immediately Red's eyes widened as those words left her mouth. Leaf Green, the girl who had once told him otherwise, actually wanted to know more about pokemon battling. It was insane and as a result, Red's mind became a complete mess. Fear, excitement, confusion, they were all swirling in his head at once and within the ensuing chaos, Red managed to squeak out one word:

"P-pardon?!"

* * *

Not wanting to waste any time, Leaf quickly gave him a brief rundown of everything that had happened up to that point with Red hanging onto every word she said.

"…..and that's how it happened." Leaf finished explaining as Red stood in silence with his hat tipped over his face to hide his smile.

" _Wow…I leave for 10 minutes and look what happens…_ "

While Red continued musing to himself, Leaf proceeded to shake her head. "I just don't understand…." she confusingly pondered to him, "Why a pokemon battle of all things?"

"Because this girl can tell that you're green, that's why." he casually explained, only to be met with Leaf's finger sharply poking him in the forehead.

"Well duh Red! Of course, I'm Green! I'm Leaf Green!"

A blank expression formed on Red's face as those words left her mouth. "T-that's!" he paused before slapping his forehead, "I didn't mean your name! I meant green as in she can tell that you're new at this!"

"Ohhhhh!" Leaf replied before giving the pokemon centre owner a slap on the back, "I knew that!"

Red shook his head as Leaf stood there with this sheepish look on her face, she clearly had no idea what she was getting herself into. "So…do you think you can help me?" she inquired as she took up a fighting position and began to jab at the air, "I really want to show this chick what happens when you mess with Leaf Green!"

"L-Leaf! You do realize that battling isn't something that I can just teach overni-" Red stopped as Leaf suddenly turned to him with a look that could only be described as….wanting.

"Please…."

"I can't…just…."

"Come on…." she pined as she picked up his yellow partner and began to wave its hand with her own, "Pikachu will love you forever if you do."

"Pika!" Pikachu happily cheered, only serving to make its trainer even more flustered.

"…a-and…what about you?" Red stammered causing Leaf to glance towards the sky.

"Me?" she pondered, sarcastically rubbing her chin before giving the pokemon centre owner a slight wink, "I guess I can knock off a few years of your sentence to me!"

"Sentence?!" Red recoiled in shock as he quickly retreated to his thoughts, " _I didn't realize I was on probation with you…._ "

Despite his reluctance, it had become blatantly clear to Red that Leaf wasn't about to back down from this challenge and it only took a few seconds of staring at her cute expression, for him to finally cave in. "Alright! Alright! I'll tell you what." he attempted to negotiate with the former daycare owner, "Let's head over to the battlefield first and we'll discuss it more there."

No sooner did Red say that and Leaf's sad expression suddenly turned to one of pure joy. "Hee! Hee! Alright!" she giggled, proud of what she was able to accomplish, "Let's do this!"

* * *

With that, the two made their way over to the battlefield Leaf had agreed to fight on and as suspected, the preppy looking girl was already standing there with her hair seemingly pressed back to normal.

"So you actually decided to show up!" she scoffed as former daycare owner walked onto the battlefield and took a stance across from her.

"Didn't think I'd chicken out did ya?" Leaf confidently replied back before winking and wagging her finger at the girl, "I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

Still utterly baffled at the events that transpired in his absence, Red tipped his hat over his eyes in hopes of not drawing attention to the issue at hand. However, his efforts would quickly prove to be in vain.

"Well! Well! Well! Look who it is!" a snarky feminine voice suddenly called out to him, "I should've known that Pikachu was yours red cap!"

Red froze in place. That voice was definitely familiar to him and curiously looked up to see who exactly Leaf's mysterious opponent truly was. "Giselle?" he exclaimed as Leaf quickly turned to him.

"You know her?"

Red slowly nodded. "She's a….frequent opponent of mine…." he duly explained as he eyed the preppy looking girl up and down, "Around here she's referred to as: The Undertaker."

"The Undertaker?!" Leaf bafflingly replied, "Why do people call her tha-"

"Because I bury newbies like you, sweetie, that's why!"

Leaf gritted her teeth, taken aback by her snarky remark. " _Hey! I'm the only one who calls people sweetie!_ " she stewed in her head, " _Who does this chick think she is?!_ "

Without warning, the girl suddenly broke out in a fit of laughter, almost as if seeing Red had lit a raging fire in her heart. "Oh! You don't know how sweet this will be for me red cap!" she exclaimed while vainly running her hand through her hair, "After you and your little rat disgraced me in our last fight, crushing your little girlfriend here will be the perfect revenge!"

"….wait…his WHAT?!"

While all this was going on, Red simply stood in silence as this ruckus played out in front of him. This girl was a challenge even for him and Leaf was going to need a miracle if she was ever going to stand any chance of defeating her. "Oh Pikachu….come here for a sec." he calmly called out, causing his yellow partner to come running over.

"Pika! Pi?"

Not wanting the girls to hear him, Red got on his knees and began conversing with the tiny pokemon. "Think you can pull this off?" he passingly whispered to his yellow partner, "There's 5 Wacan berries in it for you, if you do."

In turn, Pikachu confidently raised its fist, assuring its trainer that it had things under control. "Pika!" it stated as Red nodded in return.

"Great! But remember, act casual." he noted and as if on cue, Pikachu began to sarcastically strut back over to Leaf's side, causing Red to shake his head, "Not THAT casual!"

Quickly returning to Leaf's side, the two made it just in time to see Giselle grab a pokeball from her belt. "Alright girlie are you ready?! Feast your eyes on THIS!"

With an aggressive tone, she threw the pokeball on the field revealing a huge winged pokemon with scythes for hands.

Red could feel his heart begin to race as he looked over at Leaf and was just about to offer some words of comfort when she gleefully exclaimed. "Check it out Red! It's a Scyther!"

Silence followed as the pokemon centre owner stared at her with his mouth agape, stunned at her reaction.

"What?" she playfully shrugged as he stared blankly at her. "They're really rare and I've only had the chance to work with one once."

"See this one time at the daycare-"

"Leaf! Now's not the time to talk about this!" he finally blurted out to her, "You have a battle to focus on right now!"

That said, Leaf took a minute to look around, a small crowd had begun to assemble around the battlefield, the sight of which made her stomach begin to churn with nervousness. Leaf was no fighter, she only agreed to this out of blind anger because this girl reminded her of her past and if she failed….would they put her down….just like Blue had done to her…..

While all these thoughts swirling about in Leaf's mind, something suddenly brought her back to reality.

"Ms. Leaf!" she heard voices call out to her and quickly turned to see some of the local kids that used to frequent her daycare sitting in the front row.

"You can do it! Go get her!" they cheered at the top of their lungs and in that moment, Leaf knew what she had to do. She had to go through this fight; no, she NEEDED to go through this fight. Because right now Giselle WAS Blue and she was going to prove once and for all that she wasn't a failure.

She could do anything if she put her mind to it.

Still as a stone, Red watched as she looked around with conflict in her eyes. He could tell she was nervous, but if she was determined, he wouldn't intervene. "You'll be fine." he calmly reassured as Leaf took a deep breath in response.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" she confidently replied, only to hear Giselle's voice yell out to them.

"Hey! Quit your little lovers spat and face me!"

The two sighed as Red pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Leaf. "Okay, here are all the moves that Pikachu knows." he explained to her, "Make sure that every move you call out is loud and clear so that Pikachu can hear it."

Leaf nodded as she looked at what was written. From the looks of it, there were only four moves to choose from. " _This should be simple, I'll just do exactly what Red did when I watched him battle…._ " Leaf confidently thought as she scanned over how powerful each of the moves were, " _Hmm…Volt Tackle looks like a really powerful move! Let's start with that!_ "

"Okay, Pikachu! Let's rock!" she exclaimed as the electrical pokemon jumped onto the field, "Use Volt Tackle!"

No sooner did he hear Leaf's command and Red nearly lost his breath. "W-what?!" he choked as watched Pikachu bolt towards Scyther at a lightning pace, "No Le-"

"Scyther fly up!"

With its wings flapping a mile a minute, the green pokemon obeyed Giselle's command and took to the skies with Pikachu screeching to a halt as it failed to make contact.

"Rookie move there red skirt!" she scoffed, but what had Leaf more concerned was that Pikachu was strangely wincing in pain after the attack.

"Red, what's going on?"

Stoic as ever, the Pokemon centre owner closed his eyes. "Volt Tackle's a strong move but it hurts Pikachu every time you do it." he wisely noted, "You have to be strategic when you use it."

Leaf didn't even have time to absorb Red's advice as she watched Scyther dive head-first into Pikachu from the air, knocking it back.

"Oh-no! Are you okay Pikachu?" she frantically asked and yellow pokemon nodded in return. "Okay! Time for a counter attack!"

"Use your Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu did as it was told and fired numerous bolts of lightning at the winged-pokemon….only for it to effortlessly dodge each one of them.

While all this was going on, Giselle watched with an unamused look on her face. "Is this supposed to be a joke?" she scoffed to the brunette girl across from her. Normally, when it came to rookie trainers, Giselle would usually toy with them and let them get off a few hits before burying them. But in Leaf's case, she wasn't about to hold back and wanted to end this battle fast to prove her dominance.

"Twister! Send it flying!" she yelled out as a huge spiral of air from Scythers wings lifted Pikachu in the air and with devious smile curled over her face, prepared to end this match with one move, "Now! Use Slash and finish it!"

With nowhere to move, Pikachu could only watch as Scyther sped towards it and slammed the tiny pokemon with one of its scythes, sending it crashing to the ground.

Leaf covered her mouth in horror as Pikachu's tiny body bounced against the hard stone of the battlefield and proceeded to lay there motionless. "Oh my god…" she whispered through her hand. This was it, in only the span of a few minutes the match was already over and with a look of sheer guilt on her face, Leaf turned to Red and muttered.

"Sorry Red….I failed yo-"

"It's not over yet…" he quickly interjected and Leaf's eyes widened at his delirious statement.

"What do you mean it's not over yet?!" she hysterically yelled back, "Pikachu's…huh?"

Much to Leaf's surprise, the tiny yellow pokemon, despite how much punishment it had just taken, dug its fists into the battlefield and stood back up ready to go.

"PIIIKKKAA!" it shouted as sparks flew from its cheeks.

"Remember what I always say: You can't give up until it's over!" Red confidently recited to her, "You can do this! I believe in you!"

"Yeah…but…."

"That little rat's persistent I'll give you that!" Giselle shouted out from the other end of the battlefield, "But it's time to end this! Scyther! One more Slash will finish it!"

Time slowed down as Leaf hopelessly watched Scyther descend to Pikachu's level. Everything was happening so fast, she didn't know how to respond. " _What should I do? If I attack it's just going to dodge me again…._ " she harshly criticized herself, grasped her head in agony as she tried to piece everything together, " _Uhh…you'd think after all the times my mystery man wrote to me about battling, I should be able to do this in my sleep!_ "

"… _..wait a minute…._ "

Just then a memory came back to her. A memory of something her mystery man had said a while back. " _ **A battle's not just all about using whatever moves you think are right. It's about reading your opponent, always being 2 steps ahead of them and using that to your advantage.**_ "

"Always be 2 steps ahead…." she silently mouthed to herself.

Meanwhile, noticing Leaf's silence Red frantically glanced over to her. "Uhh Leaf….orders?" he stammered as she continued to mutter to herself.

"2 steps…ahead…."

"LEAF?!"

"Move now!"

In a blink or you miss it moment, Pikachu swiftly jumped back just as the winged pokemon's scythe came crashing down, avoiding the attack and causing Scyther's blade to get embedded in the ground.

"What the-"

"Pikachu! Volt Tackle Now!"

Giselle screamed for her pokemon to move but, no matter how much Scyther struggled; it just could not free itself and succumbed to the tiny mouse pokemon as it bolted head on towards it.

"Awesome Leaf! That's how you do it!" Red and the rest of the crowd cheered, but Leaf had to block them out. Giselle was about to mount a counter attack and her eyes rapidly darted from side to side as she attempted to analyze the situation.

"Speed! I need more speed!" she muttered, quickly glancing down at the paper to see what her next move should be, "Pikachu! Double team!"

Totally distraught by this turn of events, Giselle fired back. "Scyther keep slashing at it!" she frustratingly yelled out in retaliation, however the boost to evasion proved to be too much as Pikachu swiftly dodged every one of her moves.

" _That's right! Duck! Left! Right! Side to side! Just like we've practiced_!" Red cheered in his mind as he watched his yellow partner dance around before turning to Leaf and mentally ordering, " _and….now ATTACK!_ "

However, despite Red's mental coaching, Leaf remained silent, continuing to watch Pikachu dodge move after move.

"Hey Leaf!" he called out to her, "Now's your chance! Go for it!"

"Not yet….."

Her surprise bluntness caught him off-guard. "Huh?!" Red recoiled in shock as he pointed to the battlefield, "What are you talking about? Attack it!"

"Hang on Red!" Leaf sternly replied, waving her hand in reassurance, "This is all part of my strategy…."

"STRATEGY?!" he blurted out in disbelief, " _The girl who's never fought before is lecturing me about strategy?!_ "

Just then, Leaf looked over at him, a glint in her eye as she pointed to the battlefield. "Look for yourself sweetie." she confidently stated, "See? Every swipe Scyther does is making it slower and slower…."

Red couldn't deny that fact. Not only was Scyther getting slower, but its trainer was getting more and more agitated as the battle went on until finally…..

"Ugh! Come on Scyther! Finish it off!"

In a last ditch effort, the winged pokemon made one last grand swipe at the mouse pokemon and in that moment, Leaf saw her opportunity.

"Go Pikachu! Jump on it!" she called out and Pikachu nodded as it leapt onto the back of its adversary. "Now! Thunderbolt! Full power!"

Completely beside herself, Giselle gasped in shock. "Scyther! Hurry and shake it off!" she ordered, but it was too late. As Leaf predicted, Scyther had used up all its energy attacking and was too tired to budge the tiny pokemon. Before it knew it, 100 000 volts of pure electricity ended up coursing through the winged pokemon's body, sending crashing to the ground below.

In the moments that followed, nobody dared to say a word as they watched with baited breath to see if Scyther would rise to its feet. However, after almost a minute had passed with no movement, the announcer raised his arms declaring the match over.

"Scyther is unable to battle!" he loudly announced. "That means victory goes to Leaf and Pikachu!"

The roars of the crowd watching were almost deafening as Leaf just looked around in pure shock. "I-I….I won?" she whispered to herself and a huge smile formed on her face as realization began to set in. "I WON!"

Ecstatic, Leaf jumped nearly a foot in the air. "HA-HA! I don't believe it!" she screamed with joy.

Red was at a complete loss for words. What could he say? He was so happy for her and just stood there with this huge grin plastered on his face.

" _You sure are full of surprises Leaf Gre-_ "

Red didn't get to finish his thought as without warning, Leaf suddenly turned around and leapt straight into in his arms.

"WHA-"

His gasp of shock was interrupted as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Red! I did it! I DID IT!" she happily exclaimed as she squeezed him even tighter.

Words could not describe the look on Red's face. Not only did Leaf surprise him, but right now every part of her body was tightly brushing against him and it was driving him crazy.

" _O-okay! Red's going to pass out now!_ "

However, before that could happen, Leaf suddenly let go and turned to the people in the audience with her hands waving in the air. "Whoo! Yeah! I am the best! Like no one ever was!" she cheered and Red watched in awe as she started dancing in front of him.

"Uhhhh…."

Completely mesmerized by what was happening, Red completely failed to notice Pikachu leap up onto his shoulder and upon looking over, saw that his yellow companion was looking at Leaf with the same blank stare he was.

"W-what are you staring at?!" he exclaimed causing the mouse pokemon to quickly turn its head and begin flailing its arms wildly.

"P-pika! Pi!"

"R-right! Me neither!"

Just then, Red felt a warm sensation envelope his hand and tug him forward. "Come on Red! Let's get our prize!" Leaf happily stated.

However, just as they were about to walk away, Leaf felt a tap on her shoulder and quickly turned around to see Giselle standing there with a melancholic look on her face.

"Hey!" she sternly stated before her face suddenly eased into a smile, "….good match!"

Leaf cocked her eyebrow as Giselle extended her hand to her, surprised by her sudden change in attitude. "Uhh…thanks! You too." she stammered as the two shook hands.

"….and while I'm not happy with you shocking me Pikachu!" Giselle added as she walked over to the yellow pokemon perched atop Red's shoulder. "I'll admit, stepping on your tail was completely my fault…..sorry."

"Pika!" Pikachu reassuringly responded, giving her a wave to let her know it was okay.

"Wh-Hold on!" Leaf yelled in disbelief, "If this could have been resolved so easily, then…why the battle?!"

With a look that suggested that Leaf had just asked the stupidest question in the world, Giselle simply shrugged and revealed. "That's just the name of game here at the battle square!" she nonchalantly replied before giving Red a swift nudge in the side, "…and judging by how well your girlfriend and pokemon work together…..I'd say she's a keeper red-cap!"

"Wha-"

"Take care!" Giselle called out as she hastily ran through the crowd leaving Red and Leaf standing there in silence, awkwardly blushing at what was just said.

"Uhh…..h-how about we go get your prize?" Red finally suggested and Leaf quickly nodded in response.

"Y-yes! Let's!"

* * *

After making their way to the prize tent and picking out a nice looking ribbon for Pikachu, the two exited, only to see that there was an entourage of children waiting for them outside.

"Ms. Leaf!" they excitedly screamed as they came running over to the former daycare owner.

Leaf was in complete shock and quickly knelt down to their level to hug them all. "Kids! Kids! Oh! I've missed you so much!" she happily exclaimed, "Hey! Did you all see the fight?"

"It was so cool!" one noted as he spread his arms out and began to run around, "The Scyther went neeaaarrreeee and it just missed you!"

Leaf giggled at the ridiculous re-enactment before quickly composing herself. "Have you all been good? Taking good care of your Pokemon?"

"Yes Maam!" they all replied, however, one little girl looked down at her feet with a sad expression on her face.

"Ms. Leaf….when's the daycare going to open back up?" she worryingly wondered as she hugged her Pidgey tight, "I wanted to take my Pidgey there the other day, but my mom says that it's closed for good…."

Her words made Leaf's heart sink, how was she supposed to explain to a bunch of kids what happened to her daycare? "W-well….I…uhh…."

"Ms. Leaf wants to, but she has some very important, top secret things to do right now." Red suddenly interjected as he quickly knelt down beside her.

"Really?" the girl stated awe but Leaf didn't respond as she proceeded to stare at the pokemon centre owner with her mouth agape. He had done it again, just like the first day they met, Red had found a way to cover for her and just like that day, she couldn't help but be impressed by him.

"Ms. Leaf?"

"H-huh?" she stammered as she finally peeled her eyes away.

"R-right! Super secret! Can't tell anybody about it!" Leaf sputtered over her words before finally regaining her composure and placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. "But I promise….one day I will return to help your pokemon once again!"

All the children nodded as Leaf turned to Red and smiled. "In the meantime, you can take your pokemon to this fine gentleman over here!" she stated, sarcastically patting Red on the shoulder before suddenly leaning towards the children with a smirk on her face. "He may not be as awesome as me but you can trust your pokemon with him." she teasingly whispered, however her statement caused one young girl to perk up.

"But Ms. Leaf!" she quickly retorted, pointing up at Red, "Isn't this the guy you said was a big meanie and we should never go to him?"

In that moment, Leaf could literally feel the steam rising from her face as it instantly went red as a tomato.

"I-I never said that!"

"Ms. Leaf, why is your face turning red?" another pointed out, only serving to make her even more embarrassed.

"I-it's not!" she frantically exclaimed, but the damage was done and now all the kids were rolling on the ground laughing at her.

However, regardless of how embarrassed she felt, Leaf couldn't deny that she was happy. Just seeing her old customers again, laughing, having fun with them, it was all that she lived for and as much as she wanted the moment to last forever, she knew it was going to have to come to an end.

"Alright! Alright! Come on!" she stated in an attempt to calm everyone down, "I think you'd all better run along now!"

"Okay Ms. Leaf!" they all replied and each took a turn giving her a hug before running off.

"Don't worry….I promise we'll see each other again," she whispered to them as they waved goodbye and watched as they slowly disappeared into the crowd.

"…..big meanie huh?" A disgruntled voice muttered from behind and Leaf froze as she slowly turned around to see Red standing there with his hat tilted over his eyes.

"Hahaha…..k-kids right?" she chuckled in an attempt to pass off what was just said, "They sure say some weird things huh?"

Her statement only served to garner a cocked eyebrow from the pokemon centre owner causing Leaf to nervously shift her eyes from side to side. "H-hey! I-it was a different time for us! Okay Red!" she blurted out patting his shoulder as she tried to frantically change the subject, "C-come on! All this battling has me parched! Can we go somewhere to cool off?"

Red paused before glancing away. "Well…there WAS a place I wanted to take you too once we were finished." he finally spoke up, "But that's only **IF** you're okay going with a big meanie like me _**Ms. Leaf**_!"

Not wanting to let the pokemon centre owner get one up on her, Leaf began to sarcastically stroke her chin. "Hmm…I guess it's just something I'll have to bear with!" she teasingly replied and the two laughed as made their way out of the battle square.

* * *

"Oh Red! That was so much fun!" Leaf happily stated, doing a fancy twirl in front of the pokemon centre owner as they walked down the road, "The thrill, the excitement! I've never felt so alive before!"

Red couldn't hide his smile. After all the time he'd spent worrying, things turned out much better than he could have ever imagined. "You were definitely amazing out there Leaf." he praised as she happily smiled back.

"But answer me one question: How did you come up with such a creative strategy like that so fast?"

Leaf giggled, sighing with content as she rolled her eyes. "Well, I WAS going to tell you, but you didn't want to hear it!" she sassed as Red looked at her confused.

"You mean that….story you were going to tell me?"

"Yeah! Like I said, I've only worked with a Scyther once at the daycare." Leaf noted as she began her story. "A farmer had brought one in, worried that its wings weren't beating as fast normal and after looking into it, we discovered that the farmer had been using it to help cut down crops."

Red nodded with intrigue as Leaf continued. "See, if a Scyther uses its scythes too much, the constant pressure will cause its wings to cramp up." she explained as a sly smirk formed on her lips, "So I just took what I knew and used it to my advantage!"

Much to Leaf's surprise, Red didn't respond and just stood there with this stunned expression on his face. "What?" she teasingly asked while placing her hands on her hips, "You surprised I know stuff?"

"No, it's just….I just can't believe you managed to figure all that out so fast."

"Well….it wasn't JUST that…." Leaf shyly admitted, glancing towards the ground as she revealed, "During the fight I….remembered something my mystery man once said to me."

Red's eyes widened and he could feel a chill run down his spine as she began to explain to him, "He…loves battling you see and one piece of advice he would always tell me was to be 2-steps ahead at all time in a battle."

"H-he did?"

Leaf nodded. "Yeah….it's funny….even though I can't see him, he's always there….helping me…" she noted with a faint blush forming on her cheeks, "I just…admire him so much."

Red could feel his heart sink as her words only served as a harsh reminder that her heart still belonged someone else; a part of him that he….couldn't show her no matter how hard he wanted to.

He couldn't even think of a response to grace her with and only offered a meek smile as she stared at him with those shimmering eyes of hers.

"So….uhh…where exactly are we going Red?" Leaf asked, noticing that they had walked quite a distance out of the city.

"W-well." Red nervously stuttered before revealing his intentions. "It's….a special spot I always go to after battling."

Leaf watched as he shyly turned away from her and smirked. "Special…spot…huh?" she slyly replied before leaning up to Red's ear and whispering, "Don't you think it's a little soon for that?"

Red's face immediately turned flush. "H-huh?!" he stammered as Leaf laughed hysterically at his actions.

"Hee! Hee! You're too easy!" she teased as Red tried to regain his composure. "Trust me; if you tried something like that I'd have the cops on you faster than you could blink!"

"R-right." he worryingly replied before quickly turning his attention back to the destination at hand, "Come on! It's not too far from here."

* * *

Sure enough, after only a few more minutes of walking, the two finally reached the place Red was talking about, the sight of which puzzled Leaf to no end.

"Ice cream?" she confusingly stated as she gazed upon the small ice-cream parlor Red had brought her to, "We came all the way out here for ice cream?!"

"Of course! I consider this the icing on the cake after a hard battle." Red stated with an excited smile on his face, "Don't you like ice cream?"

Leaf nervously glanced down at the ground. Her liking ice cream wasn't the problem that she was thinking about right now. "I-I'm trying to watch what I eat okay?" she finally revealed causing Red to humorously start chuckling at her.

"W-what's so funny?!"

"Trust me Leaf….I've seen what you eat." he stated, poking her head as he teasingly reminded her of the time they met at the grocery store, "That's a bald-faced lie and you know it!"

Before Leaf could even manage a response, Red quickly turned around and waved his hand at her. "But…fine….have it your way!" he stated as he turned to his electrical partner, "What do you want Pikachu?"

"Pika! Pi!" Pikachu excitedly replied, pointing towards a brightly pink coloured ice cream though the glass.

"The Cherri berry?" Red clarified, "Maybe I'll have Cherri berry too!"

As if he could sense her presence approaching from behind, Red glanced over to see Leaf peering at the brightly coloured ice-cream from over his shoulder. "C-cherry berry?" she mumbled, her mouth practically salivating at the mere thought.

"Yep! Made only from the best picked Cherri berries and the finest Moo-Moo milk from our neighbors to the East!"

"W-well….uhh…." Leaf couldn't handle it anymore, it looked so good that she, albeit reluctantly, caved into the idea. "M-maybe just a small cone for me…"

"Right!" Red nodded as he turned to the attendant and exclaimed, "She'll have a double!"

"RED!" Leaf yelled as she grabbed both of his hands and began wrestling about, "Are you even listening to anything I'm saying?!"

"What?!" Red laughed as he playfully struggled against her, "I was just saying what your heart was telling me."

"MY HEAR-OHHHH! You! You! MAN You!"

The two continued to struggle against one another until the ice cream was scooped. Upon which, Leaf hastily snatched her ice cream from the hold and began to walk off with it.

"F-fine! I'll take this, but I won't enjoy it!"

"Oh quit your griping!" Red chuckled as he grabbed both his and Pikachu's ice cream's. "Come on! The special spot's this way!"

* * *

With no real idea of just what this special spot was, Leaf slowly followed Red as he began to climb up a nearby steep slope. It was a tough climb and Leaf struggled to hold her ice cream as they climbed for what seemed like an eternity. However, it would soon come to an end and as they reached the top their eyes were met with a beautiful overlooking view of Saffron city.

"Wow…." Leaf gasped at the sight before her. For all the years she had lived in Saffron, the former daycare owner had never seen it like this before and it reminded Leaf of a toy model with how small all the buildings looked.

"My…dad…used to bring me here all the time as a kid." she heard Red begin to reminisce as he stood beside her overlooking the landscape as well, "It was always a tradition that we would have ice cream up here and after he passed away….I always made a point to come here after a battle to honor that tradition….."

Red paused, taking a minute to lick his ice cream and chuckled under his breath. "It's funny….." he muttered as slowly let it melt in his mouth, "I've been coming up here for so many years and yet…..this is my first time with a girl."

Surprised, Leaf turned and began chuckling as well. "Well I'm flattered!" she teasingly replied before curiously stroking her chin as a thought popped in her head, "So…you never brought your last girlfriend up here?"

Red let out a small sigh as he glanced towards the ground. "She….was never too big on battling." he noted before walking over to a nearby rock that his yellow partner was taking a nap on and scratching its ear, "Pikachu's the only companion I've ever brought here."

"I see…."

With a response that was oddly short and to the point, Red could only watch as Leaf proceeded to silently stand there, her hair blowing in the wind as her eyes fixated upon the landscape before them.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked, wondering if he had somehow said something that offended her.

"Nothing…." she hollowly replied and a brief silence followed as Leaf pondered whether she should tell the pokemon centre's owner what she was truly feeling right now, "It's just…when I look down at the city all I can think about is how….empty it is."

Quickly turning to face her, Red shot Leaf a confused look. "Empty?" he wondered as Leaf proceeded to tightly wrap her arms around her chest.

"Yes…and it makes me feel….lonely…."

Red was completely perplexed by her confession. With so many friends and customers that loved her, that couldn't possibly be true and was determined to get to the bottom of this. "It couldn't have always felt that way to you," he noted as she shook her head in response.

"Not always…"

"Because you had the daycare?"

"Yes….but there was more than that…" Leaf reluctantly admitted before taking a deep breath and revealing, "I…umm….had….somebody….a guy I really liked…..and just after I lost the daycare...we broke up."

Red sighed, he remembered seeing Leaf with someone at the party awhile back but never once, not even online did he ever ask about it. It was clear that this was not going to be an easy subject to listen too, but if this is what it took to finally help Leaf overcome what happened, he would be there for her. "….what happened?" he asked, determined to see this through to the end.

Red watched as she began violently shaking her head at the mere thought of it "I don't….really know how to explain it….everything started off good…but overtime….things changed." she stated, her voice becoming more and more hoarse with every word she said, "He began always putting me down and openly chastised me for every decision I made….it was clear that he just didn't love me anymore….."

"So why did you put up with it for so long?"

"I don't know….trust me….there were a lot of times I just wanted to…break away…" she admitted to him, "I would always tell myself….just wait….it'll get better….it has too….but it never did….."

The more Leaf talked, the more upset she became. She desperately wanted nothing more than to just break down, but after everything that had happened to her, she no longer had any tears left to cry. As such, she frustratingly, picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it over the edge before turning to Red and pouring her heart out.

"I just…feel like such a fool for wasting so many years of my life on something I should have known wasn't going to happen!" she passionately yelled at him, "I don't know how I ever let myself get taken in like that…."

Red was still as a stone. That was it. That was the event that had been scaring her for so long. In his mind, Red secretly wished that Leaf would have told him this online; if only so he could have helped her sooner, but…maybe there was a reason why that wasn't the case. Maybe…this was only something that could be resolved with him physically being there.

"Leaf….I'm sorry for what happened….but….you can't blame yourself for letting someone into your heart." he calmly replied, slowly placing his hand on her shoulder as he thought back to past events, "Trust me….I know what it's like to feel….shackled by love….but I don't regret it. Nothing we ever do is a waste of time."

The warmth of his touch caused Leaf to look over and as she did, saw Red standing there, looking towards the sky. "Whether it's success or failure, everything we do shapes us into who we are, it's made you into the person that's standing next to me right now."

Leaf stared at him in awe. "You….really think so?" she wondered and he nodded in response.

"I do…..and if it's any consolation…..I'd say that….no matter the outcome….love is always worth the risk." he admitted as he turned towards her and with a warm smile added, "…because you just never know….when the right time will come along…."

Leaf paused as she stared into his eyes. They were like a beacon of hope that she never even knew existed. "Maybe you're right…." she whispered to him.

With that the two turned their attention back to the sight before them and silence fell as Red and Leaf just stood there, feeling the cool breeze of the wind as it passed through their hair.

Then suddenly….

*THUD*

Red froze as what sounded like someone falling enveloped his ears and quickly spun around to see that Leaf had fallen back onto the grass.

"LEAF!" he gasped and quickly kneeled to her side, "Oh my god! Are you okay?!"

In a panic, Red frantically scrambled to grab his phone out of his pocket and was just about to call for an ambulance when he heard a distinct chuckle come from Leaf's mouth.

"Heheheh…."

"Leaf?" he quickly glanced down and listened as her chuckling grew louder and louder until it was just a full on laugh. She then spread her arms out and Red watched in bewilderment as she began to playfully wiggle around in the grass.

" _Okay…either she's really happy…or-_ "

"Oh Red!" she finally exclaimed, "You don't know how long it's been since I've felt so free!"

With that, she broke out into another fit of laughter and unsure of what to make of what he was seeing; Red began to laugh as well. "Hey! You had me worried," he exclaimed as she sat up.

"Sorry…." she apologized before lying back down on the grass and patting the ground beside her, "Come on! Come and join me!"

"I-I don't know Leaf…" Red sheepishly replied, "I….don't want to get my clothes dirt-"

"Come on!"

"WHA-"

Before Red knew it, Leaf suddenly sprung up, grabbed the sides of his vest and pulled him face first onto the soft ground below.

"HAHAHAHA!" Leaf laughed hysterically as Red slowly raised his head from the soft ground it had been driven into, "You should see the look on your face right now!"

Completely at a loss for words, Red shouted the first words that came to his mind. "LEAF! YOU-"

"You what?!" she quickly cut him off, "Go ahead Mr. Big Shot Pokemon Centre Owner, tell me what's reeeaalllly on your mind!"

Hearing that, Red closed his eyes. "Okay…..I'll tell you….." he muttered before taking a deep breath and giving her the deadliest glare he could muster, "I'll tell you EXACTLY what's on my mind right now!"

With that, he leapt forward and playfully shoved her to ground. "How do you like me now?" he sassed as she glared right back at him.

"If you think that you can take me down the same way you did my daycare then…..you're sorely mistaken!" Leaf quickly rebutted and quickly shoved Red to the ground in return.

Before they knew it, the two were rolling around on the ground, laughing and having a great time with one another. It was in that moment that both Red and Leaf felt like they had come full circle. That everything that had happened to them in the past was nothing more than just a bad dream and for a faint moment….it was almost like they were truly together.

* * *

The two continued to laugh and play for the next few minutes before finally stopping to catch their breath.

"Wow…way to….make me feel like….such a kid again!" Leaf stated while attempting to catch her breath and Red happily nodded in response.

"You're welcome," he replied as they both decided to sit up and Red cocked his eyebrow as Leaf began curiously staring at him. "Uhh….can I help you?"

"What happened here?" she asked, pointing to a part of his vest.

Curious, Red looked down and saw that it had ripped just below his breast line. "Oh….I didn't notice." he nonchalantly replied figuring that he could just get it fixed at a tailor when he got home, but Leaf wouldn't have any of it.

"Give it here, I'll fix it." she stated, extending her hand while Red gave her a confused look in return.

"You're gonna fix it now?!"

"Of course! I always come prepared!" Leaf reassured him and took out a needle and thread from her bag to show Red she meant business.

Whether it was a habit she developed from owning her own business or not, Leaf always made it a point to keep things proper and seeing just how adamant she was, Red reluctantly passed over his vest, watching as she carefully inspected the problem.

"Wow…you really did a number on it!" Leaf stated as she teasingly looked at Red through the hole. "I can't believe you were this reckless to not notice it!"

"Hey! I-"

"AH! Eyes forward mister!" Leaf quickly interjected, "I can't concentrate when you're staring at me like that!"

"Alright! Alright!" Red replied, throwing his arms up in the air as he reluctantly turned away from her. If there was one thing he knew, it was to not mess with a woman when they had a serious goal in mind.

With that, Leaf got to work sewing up the hole, all the while, Red sat there with his head perched atop his hand, waiting for her to finish. "Soooo… just what were you doing that made you rip it so bad?" Leaf eventually asked to cut the silence between them.

"Uhh….maybe the whole you pulling me down thing might have had something to do with it."

Leaf rolled her eyes. Despite knowing that was probably the truth, she couldn't admit that to him. "Bah! That's the easy explanation!" she exclaimed before attempting to change the subject, "What all did you do today? I'm sure we'll find the answer!"

"Let me think…." Red trailed off as he tried to remember all the events that preceded his meeting with former daycare owner, "I fed Pikachu, went for a walk, then hurried back because I couldn't be late to meet with you."

"Meet with me?" Leaf confusingly replied before playfully poking Red in the back, "I thought we just randomly bumped into one another like usual?"

A sharp chill went up Red's spine as those words left Leaf's mouth. He was having such a great time with her that he had completely let his guard down. "W-well….i-if you would just give me your number I'd-"

"Could it be that you actually enjoy spending time with me?" she playfully stated causing a bead of sweat to roll down Red's forehead and noticing how silent he was, Leaf decided to lay it on even more, "Hee! Hee! You're a real piece of work you know that? It's no wonder why I don't want to work for you!"

"Hey!"

Without thinking, Red disobeyed Leaf's orders and whipped his head around, only to see a disapproving look on her face.

"What did I say about staring at me!" she exclaimed, causing Red to quickly look away again.

"S-sorry!" he quickly replied, only to hear the sound of her laughter behind him.

Leaf couldn't believe it, she never thought in a million years that she'd be having this much fun with a person she'd once considered her adversary and after a brief moment of silence, she finally spoke up again.

"Hey do you want to hear something even sillier than you wanting to spend time with me?" she asked causing Red to deeply sigh in response.

"What's that Leaf?"

Half expecting another insult to get thrown his way, Red braced himself for the worst, but what happened instead would completely catch him off guard as Leaf leaned right up beside him and whispered something he would never forget.

"…..I enjoy spending time with you too."

Words could not describe how Red felt after those words came out of her mouth. Not only was his face as flush as a tomato, but his entire body was tingling. Whether it was from shock or excitement, Red didn't know. Right now, he didn't care if she got mad from forsaking her orders, he desperately wanted to look at her and quickly spun around to do so.

"Le-"

"Here! It's done!"

No sooner did Red turn around only to see his vest flying towards him like a raging 7/47. "Ahh! Hey!" he screamed as his vision was suddenly impeded by the vest slamming him in the face and Leaf laughed hysterically as the impact caused him to fall to the ground.

"See? I told you to keep your eyes forward!"

Red didn't even have a chance to listen to her sass, as he frantically wrestled about trying to get his vest off, "Warn me next time you do that!" he stated as he finally got it on straight.

"Oh quit your griping and put it back on!"

Amit a bit embarrassed, Red did as he was told and upon putting his vest, sighed as he saw that Leaf had sewn the hole with the brightest green thread he had ever seen. It stuck out like a sore thumb and was a stark contrast to his usual red and black attire.

"You know…it's funny…" Leaf quietly muttered as she laid back down on the grass, "Here I am, no job, no….nothing really and yet….I haven't felt so happy in such a long time."

Red smiled as he watched Leaf lay there, her long brunette hair blowing freely in the wind as she stared up at the sky. "You make me happy too…" he quietly whispered to her, "Honestly Leaf, to me you're-"

"…..an angel…"

"Huh?"

Red looked over and saw Leaf pointing towards the sky. "That cloud up there." she clarified, "It looks like an angel."

Turning his attention to the sky, Red saw exactly what Leaf was talking about. High above them was a humanoid shaped cloud with two other clouds floating closely beside it, giving the vague appearance of an angel.

"It kinda does, doesn't it?" he noted as he laid down beside her and for the next few minutes the two just sat there staring at the cloudy sky above them.

"Hey…do you believe in angels?" Red curiously asked as he watched the clouds pass by.

Surprised he would ask such a question, Leaf turned towards him. "Well of course." she agreed before closing her eyes and stating, "Sometimes you have to look hard but….they're there…..whenever anything good happens to us….."

"Why do you ask Red?"

"B-because…." he stammered, cautiously taking a deep breath before finally revealing, "…..I think I see one…."

Red took another deep breath as he watched Leaf stare at him wide-eyed and quickly glanced away in embarrassment. " _Oh boy….I probably took it too fa-_ "

His thoughts were suddenly cut off as he felt the warmth of Leaf's hand envelope his own.

"L-leaf?"

"Thank you…." she whispered.

"F-for what?"

"For….helping me find my smile again." she openly admitted to him, "Honestly after Blue left me and the daycare went under, I never thought I'd find it again."

Red could feel her squeeze his hand tighter as she rolled onto her side to face him and he instinctively did the same.

"I know I always say that it was my mystery man who's helped me through all this but…..I can't forget everything that you've done for me too." Leaf stated as she stared into his eyes, "It was you who came to me that first day…it was you who showed me that the world is worth living in…..it was you who…..helped me find my smile again."

"W-well I think you have a really beautiful smile….and I think people would really appreciate it if you wore it more often."

Red watched as Leaf blushed at his statement and somewhat nervously glanced away. "Trust me….ever since I began hanging around with you I've had a lot more smiles," she whispered to him and Red could feel his heart beat out of his chest as she slowly began to inch closer to him. "I really…..truly….can't thank you enough Red."

With his heart racing, Red panicked, unsure of what to do. Should he just tell her the truth right now? Their relationship had escalated so much in such a short period of time that he really wanted too.

"Leaf…" he whispered back and with his free hand, began to gently run his fingers through her hair.

Conflict welled inside Red's heart; he wanted to kiss her so bad right now and as if on auto-pilot, slowly moved his hand lower and began caressing her face as she continued to inch closer and closer to him until…..

*RIIIINNNGGGG*

The sudden sound caused Red to jump as it continuously rang out from his pocket, completely killing the moment in the process. " _Oh! You gotta be kidding me!_ " he stressfully thought as he scrambled to grab his phone.

"Hello?" he hastily answered and sighed as he disappointingly responded to the person on the other end. "No Ethan….you're not interrupting anything…"

Leaf watched as Red continued talking to his assistant before suddenly glancing down at his watch in a panic.

"Oh sorry! I didn't realize how late it was getting!" he apologized profusely. "Are you going to be okay if I take Leaf home before coming in?"

Whatever response Ethan's response gave, it must have been good as Red smiled in return. "Okay! I'll be there in a bit!"

With that, Red hung up his phone and turned to Leaf who was still looking at him with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Work stuff?" she asked as Red nodded in response.

"Yeah…sorry."

"That's okay!" Leaf replied as she rose to her feet, "I enjoyed randomly bumping into you today Red!"

"Yeah me too…" he nodded in response and stood in silence for a few seconds before finally asking. "Hey! Do you want to randomly bump into me again tomorrow say…10 o'clock?"

Leaf cocked her eyebrow. "That's an….oddly specific time for a random bump into one another." she teased before turning and giving him a warm smile, "But yeah….I'd really like that."

Smiling in return, Red grabbed his still sleeping Pikachu and placed it in his bag as Leaf curiously peered over the edge of the hill they were on. "So…uhh….how do we do we get down from this rock?" she wondered as Red looked over the edge with her, unsure of how to really explain how he usually did it.

"Well, normally I just kinda….slide down until I get to the bottom." he explained as he cautiously took a step forward and slowly began to descend down the hill.

"Slide down?" Leaf pondered as she quickly began to follow suit, "Well you'd better not rip your shirt again as we do! I don't think I have enough thread to fi-AHHHH!"

All of a sudden, a random jutting out rock caused Leaf to trip and she soon found herself barreling towards Red at a lighting speed.

"Leaf!" he screamed and with no time to react, instinctively grabbed her waist and dug his heels into the ground until they finally managed to brace themselves against the side of the hill.

"Are you…okay?" Red panted as they came to stop.

"Y-yes!" Leaf stammered in response, blushing profusely at how tightly he had her wrapped in his arms.

Finally realizing this for himself, Red released her from his grasp and began scratching the back of his head. "Y-yeah…as you can see it's a bit of a steep climb…." he nervously stated to her, "P-perhaps we should hold hands until we get down?"

"R-right! G-good idea."

With that, Leaf let Red place his hand in her own and figuring Leaf would waste no time in letting it go once they reached the bottom, Red was subtlety surprised when that wasn't the case. Not only did she continue to hold it once they'd gotten to the bottom of the hill, but she wouldn't let go the entire walk back to her house.

* * *

Once they finally parted ways with one another, Red made his way over to the Pokemon Centre and although he was overjoyed with the time he had spent with Leaf, Red carried out the rest of his day with a serious expression on his face. It was true that they had grown close with each other…..closer than Red could ever imagine they'd grow. There was no denying that he truly cared about her and sincerely believed that she cared about him in return. However, in doing so, this had inadvertently created a problem that Red could never have predicted happening.

" _ **I admire my mystery man so much! Even though I can't see him, he's always right there….helping me.**_ " Leaf's words echoed in Red's mind as he slowly walked down the road towards his house.

While she clearly seemed to have feelings towards the real him, there was something about the way that Leaf's eyes sparkled whenever she brought up his online persona, that he could just not duplicate and that only made Red wonder: Did Leaf have a preconceived idea of what his online persona looked like and if that was the case, would he be adequate?

It seemed that with every day that passed, Red began to increasingly despise this so-called "Mystery man" he had created and wanted nothing more than to break things off between Leaf and his online persona….but he couldn't do that. As much as Red didn't want to admit it, THECHAMPION151 was him and his actions online would inadvertently affect himself as well.

" _What kind of cruel irony is this?!_ " Red stressfully thought as he unlocked the door to his house and walked inside. " _I'm competing for this girl's heart against myself…._ "

After placing Pikachu in its bed, Red walked straight over to his computer room and sighed. He was tired of holding in all these emotions, tired of not being able to be who he really was. After today, if Leaf couldn't accept who he really was….if she couldn't accept that he and his online persona were one and the same…then what was the point? Just like Lance said, he would be chasing something that he couldn't catch.

Faced with this conflict, Red knew that there was only one way to get the conclusive answer he so desired and as he logged into his e-mail account, Red began typing what would probably the final message that he would ever send to the online persona known as "Luckygirl"

The message he wrote was quite short and to the point. It was a message designed specifically so that Red could reveal himself and as he finished writing it, he paused, realizing that if Leaf did not accept him…..this would be it…..not only would his talks with Leaf end, but his talks with her online persona would come to an end as well, instantly becoming a thing of the past.

The idea definitely frightened Red and as such, he hesitantly wavered his mouse cursor over the send button, nervous to click on it.

"This is it…no turning back now…" he whispered, his finger trembling as he stared at the send button. "Leaf…I love you and whatever decision you make tomorrow….I will accept no matter what…."

With that he clicked down on the send button and immediately shut down his computer, knowing that whether she accepted him or not….tommorow….Leaf Green was going to find out the truth.

* * *

 **And there you have it folks! The longest chapter I've ever written and as mentioned above, I apologize. Hopefully the longer chapter will suffice for the wait. And yes, as the end this chapter suggests, after almost a year and half of writing it, this story is coming to a close, with the next chapter being the last.**

 **How will this all play out? Well...you'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out. (or you could always go watch the movie this story is based off of and see the ending there...but where's the fun in that?!)**

 **As always ladies and gentleman, I appreciate your thoughts on the chapter and I can't wait to see you for the final chapter!**

 **Until then Ciao!**


	13. Final Chapter: Will You Let Me Love You?

**Well, hello there ladies and gentleman. I know it's been awhile, but it's done, the final chapter of You've got Pokemail is here and...once again it's alot longer than I anticipated!**

 **How will things play out in the end? I guess you'll just have to read and find out ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Will You Let Me Love You?

It was a quiet morning in the city of Saffron and as the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, a certain brunette haired girl lay in her bed staring at the ceiling of her apartment. For reasons unknown, Leaf had quite the restless night, frequently tossing and turning as two topics of interest constantly preoccupied her mind.

One of which, was a certain red-capped individual that ever since her daycare had closed, had become ever more present in her life. It was no secret that the more she and Red hung out, the fonder Leaf seemed to grow of her former adversary and found herself thinking about him more and more as the days went on.

The other topic that was encapsulating her mind….just happened to be the very reason why she was waiting so patiently and the minute light began to shine through Leaf's window, she immediately jumped out of her bed and made a b-line for her computer room.

In the mind of the former daycare owner, the idea of starting her day off by reading one of her mystery man's messages had become…almost a tradition by now and as she sat down to turn her PC on, the thought of what kind of message could be awaiting her made Leaf giddy. Could it be a silly message that would make her laugh? Wise advice that would make her rethink how she lived her life? Or….maybe even, something sweet that would make blush?

Truth be told, any of those possibilities would've been enough to make the former daycare owner happy. However…..nothing could have prepared Leaf for the message that truly awaited her when she finally signed into her e-mail account.

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **Good evening…or morning in your case.**

 **Listen, I've been doing a lot of thinking about…you and me and all the times we've shared together.**

 **I want you to know that I've cherished every single moment we've spent together and even though you're not physically here with me, I've never felt closer to anyone before in my life. You've made these past years the best I've ever experienced and I can't thank you enough for that, you really mean a lot to me.**

 **I guess what I'm trying to ask is…..if you're ready…..would you like to meet with me today? I know what happened last time and that it's kinda sudden and if you don't want to I completely understand.**

 **But….I really do want to see you and if you're interested, I'm more than more than willing to set up some plans with you.**

 **Take care.**

Leaf was still as a stone as she finished reading that message. Was this for real? She wasn't dreaming was she?"

*Pinch*

"Oww!"

It definitely wasn't a dream and Leaf's eyes were glued to her computer screen as she reread the message at least 20 times, her excitement growing every time she did.

It all happened so fast, but it was real. Finally….FINALLY, she was going to meet the person behind all these messages and with her entire body shaking with excitement, leapt to her feet and began rapidly typing her response back.

"Yes! YES! All of my YES!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as her fingers pounded a mile a minute on the keyboard, "You don't know how long I've waited for THIS!"

With a response that could only be summed up as "OH MY GOD YES!" Leaf spent the rest of the morning messaging back and forth with her mystery man as they planned out where and when their meeting would take place. Once that was settled, Leaf wasted no time in calling her friends and telling them what happened, with their responses pretty much replicating hers when she first found out. It was definitely an exciting morning for the former daycare owner and there were numerous occasions where Leaf thought she was going to pass out from breathing too fast. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, but a quick glance at her clock nearly made it a reality again as Leaf realized that she had promised to meet Red at 10:00 and hastily scrambled to get ready so she wouldn't be late.

* * *

Throwing on her usual attire as fast as she could, Leaf flew down the streets of Saffron, hastily bumping into every person in her way and almost getting run over by numerous cars before finally making it to the quaint little café the two usually met at.

Still ecstatic as ever, Leaf couldn't wait to tell the pokemon centre owner all about her newfound plans. However, unbeknownst to her, the dark haired boy was already fully aware of said plans and was simultaneously dreading them as well.

"I can't believe this Red!" Leaf squealed with excitement, causing their glasses to shake as she repeatedly slammed her hands against the table they were eating at, "It just totally came out of the blue!"

Red watched as she restlessly shifted about in her seat and sighed. Thanks to how shot his nerves were from this whole endeavor, he hadn't gotten very much sleep the night prior and seeing her excited reaction only served to make them worse. "He just….asked you…..just like that?" he curiously asked in an attempt to appear oblivious for the time being.

"Yeah! He wants to meet with me around 4:00!"

"…..and you accepted?"

"Of course I did!" Leaf exclaimed before suddenly lunging forward and grasping Red's hand in her own, "Red I have waited sooooo long for this day to come! You have no idea!"

The pokemon centre owner could feel his heart sink as he felt the softness of Leaf's hand against his own. " _Actually….I do…._ " he woefully thought as he tried his best to maintain a positive outlook….but try as he might, it was no use.

All it took was one look into Leaf's eyes for Red to see that she had….expectations. Expectations that he feared he had no chance of ever living up to.

Unsure of what to say, Red continued to remain silent as Leaf suddenly let go of his hand and excitedly clasped hers together.

"This so great! I can't wait to see what he looks like!" she swooned before glancing over at Red and winking, "Maybe I'll finally get to figure out what that 151 stands for?"

Red's stomach was becoming more and more uneasy by the minute. After all the times she had made subtle remarks about him being her mystery man, shouldn't she be at least SOMEWHAT curious as to why he was acting this way? The idea was driving Red crazy and before he could even utter a response, Leaf suddenly spoke up again. "OH! I hope he's tall!" she happily exclaimed.

"Tall…" he muttered back in hopes that Leaf would stop, but she just kept laying it on.

"Do you think he'll be tall Red?" she teasingly remarked, "I mean, I think it would be pretty uncomfortable if I had to bend down every time I wanted to kiss hi-"

"Why are you telling me this Leaf?!"

Red froze, that had come out a lot louder than he anticipated, but he was seriously at his wit's end. He knew meeting Leaf before revealing himself was a bad idea and now felt even more uncomfortable as the entire café fell silent and all eyes of those present seemed to peer over at him.

Across the table, Leaf was taken aback by Red's sudden change in tone. Normally, he would be really light hearted when it came to her mystery man and had hoped to get a few quips in before he (hopefully) revealed himself to her. However, after such an outburst, Leaf was at a complete loss for words as she tried to think of something to say.

"I don't know…" she finally answered, slightly shrugging as she did, "After all the times we've joked about my mystery man, I figured….you'd want to know…"

Red bit his lip. Watching Leaf stare at him guiltily with those beautiful eyes of hers was a huge punch to the gut. Deep down, he had to remember that she was still unaware of his true identity and had no right bringing down the mood like that. "Leaf….I'm sorry." he muttered as he shamefully shook his head, "There's just been a lot on my mind lately and I didn't sleep very well last night."

Trying his best to absolve the issue, Red forced the best grin he could. "You know I'm excited for you…." he stated as Leaf glanced towards the ground, still concerned about the way he was acting.

"T-thanks…"

* * *

The rest of their outing was spent….mainly in silence, with the two just sitting there, quietly eating their meal until the time of their fateful meeting finally drew near.

As of recently, it had become customary for Red to walk Leaf home once they were done and today was no exception. However, it proved to be one of the most awkward walks they'd ever experienced as, despite a few moments of small talk, very few words were exchanged between the two of them.

" _Red…_ " Leaf worryingly thought as she quickly glanced over at the pokemon centre owner, " _What's gotten into you?_ "

It was excruciating. What had started out as jokingly teasing Red to confirm her suspicions, ended up completing backfiring on Leaf. Instead of playing along with her as he usually did, Red seemed really upset that she was meeting her mystery man and that only served to confuse her.

" _If Red truly WAS my mystery man….why would he be so upset right now?_ " Leaf nervously pondered to herself, " _That is…unless….he's no_ -"

She stopped before she could even finish that thought. Right now Leaf had to remain positive, but she couldn't deny that even if it was small, doubt was beginning to make its way into her heart.

* * *

"Well! Here we are!" Leaf exclaimed as they reached the steps that lead to her apartment and in a last ditch effort to get some form of clarity from him, turned towards Red and said. "Wish me luck Red!"

She then winked and smiled sweetly hoping to least get some kind of reaction out of him, but was instead met with Red simply tipping his hat over his eyes. "Good luck…." he quietly muttered back and unable to take it anymore, Leaf finally snapped.

"Okay! Seriously! What is going on with you today Red?!" she demanded as he shyly turned away from her.

"I just have a lot on my mind okay?" he noted, still continuing to advert his eyes from hers, "…..it's nothing…."

Knowing how poor of a lie that was Leaf rolled her eyes. "Judging from how you've been acting all day, I don't think it's just nothing!" she quickly retorted before walking up to him and attempting to glance under his hat, "Come on, we're friends! If there's something you want to say to me just say it!"

Continuing to curiously try and look at Red under his hat, Leaf paused as she noticed his lip quivering. It was crunch time for the pokemon centre owner and with every minute that passed by, the harder it became for him. "I-it's just…" he stammered, not really knowing how to word what he wanted to say to her, "I'm….just….really happy for your mystery man that's all…"

Leaf recoiled in shock; that was definitely not the statement she had expected to hear from him. "W-what do you mean by that?" she asked as he began to nervously scratch his head.

"W-well….I don't think he realizes just how lucky he is." Red attempted to clarify, continuing to trip over his words as he tried to find the right thing to say. "I mean…somehow…he's managed to find a period in your life where you're convinced that there's no other man that could possibly...obtain your love."

Silence fell between the two of them as Leaf stared bewilderingly at the red-capped individual. How was she supposed to respond to such a claim when that wasn't….entirely true?

"Leaf…" Red suddenly spoke up again, "Can I ask you a question?"

"S-sure." Leaf stammered, completely unsure as to what manner of words were about to come out of his mouth.

"….if circumstances were changed….if I didn't own my Pokemon Centre and you weren't the owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre do you think….things….might have been different for us?"

Leaf gasped, she couldn't believe where Red was going with this line of questioning and before she could even respond, Red suddenly chimed in to clarify.

"D-different as in-"

"No…no…I understand what you're getting at." Leaf quickly responded, raising her hand as she tried to collect her thoughts. This was all happening so fast that she barely had any time to think and after one last deep breath to clear her head, was finally ready to reply with a question of her own, "O-okay…if that were the case Red….and things had been different between us…do you mind me asking…what would you have done differently?"

Leaf watched as for the first time in what seemed like forever, Red finally lifted his hat from his face, exposing his eyes to her. They had such a warm, yet sorrowful look to them that Leaf couldn't' help but stare. "Well….I probably would have started by asking your name….what you did for a living….y-you know….standard stuff…." he stammered, trying his best to explain his ideal scenario to her, "Then…if things went well, maybe I'd ask if you'd want to go out for a drink….or dinner."

Before continuing, Red paused to take a deep breath. He knew what he wanted to say to her next and despite being utterly terrified of how she would react, it needed to be said.

With Leaf's eyes already wide with shock from what he had said prior, they went even wider as he finally noted.

"…and…if things continued to go well…I…..might just ask if you'd be interested in staying with me…."

"Forever and ever…."

It was done, after so long of wanting to tell Leaf how he really felt and even though he didn't explicitly tell her, Red had finally told this girl just how much she meant to him and he sighed with relief as it finally came out. He had held it in for so long and hoped….HOPED that by telling her this, it would be enough to make her consider abandoning the idea of meeting his online persona and unbeknownst to him, it definitely had an effect.

Leaf was frozen, her face saying everything that her mouth couldn't as a look of shock and conflict formed all over it. She knew exactly what Red's words meant and it only served to fill her heart with even more doubt. If Red was her mystery man, why would he confess now and what was she supposed to say to him?

"Red…." she whispered as he suddenly spoke up again.

"….and all this conflict between us would never have happened." he added as he chuckled to himself, "The only thing we'd ever argue about would be….what kind of movie we'd want to watch on a Saturday night."

Leaf sighed as that scenario began to play out in her head. "Well….who fight's about something like that?" she hollowly stated as Red nodded in response.

"True…." he sighed as well, "….but….I still…think it'd be great…."

"Red….I…."

"If only…huh?"

Leaf could only watch as Red disappointingly glanced down at the ground and felt awful. Why, of all times for Red to say something like this to her, did it have to be just before a crucial moment in her life?

Did she admire the pokemon centre owner? Yes, much more than she could have ever expected herself to admire him, but she had also made a promise to her mystery man and she couldn't just go back on it now; especially after what happened last time.

"3:30…" Leaf muttered as she looked down at her watch and despite not wanting to leave Red in the state he was, knew that she needed the time to get ready. "I…have to go now…."

Reluctantly, she slowly turned around. However, no sooner did Leaf take one step towards her lobby and she heard a voice shout out.

"Leaf! Wait!" Red suddenly called out to her and she quickly spun around as she felt his hand on her shoulder, "Before you go, there's one more thing I need to ask you."

At this point Red was on autopilot, it was clear that there was no stopping her from wanting to meet his online persona. However, if this was going to be potentially the last time they would talk on good terms, there was one last question burning in Red's mind and he needed an answer to it. "This guy….stood you up in the past…right?" he stated as Leaf slowly nodded in return.

"….yes…he did." she acknowledged, wondering just what Red was getting at.

"So….why is it that you're so willing to forgive him for that, but still not fully forgive me for this one stupid thing I did to you?"

His question caught Leaf completely off-guard and she froze unsure of how to even respond.

"Look I get it Leaf!" he exclaimed, his voice growing more and more hoarse with every word he said, "I put you out of business, I hurt you in a way that nobody else ever could and no matter how much I try to amend for it...deep down, it's something I can never hope to gain your forgiveness for!"

Red couldn't hold it back any longer, he had never gotten so passionate about something before in his life and was heavily panting to try and calm himself down. Right now, he felt as if he had nothing left and with everything he had wanted to say finally being said, could only meekly end it with.

"But…..boy do I wish you would…"

Completely against his will, Leaf watched as tears began to steadily stream down his face and felt terrible. She honestly wanted nothing more than to just run over and hug him but, she had a promise to keep and no matter how hard it was, she was going through with it no matter what.

"Red….I'm sorry…..but I really have to go." she whispered as he embarrassingly wiped his tears away.

"Yeah…..you don't want to be late…" he choked back before quickly drying his tears and putting on the best face he could for her, "Please be careful okay."

"I will….thanks….."

* * *

With that, Red watched as Leaf turned around and began walking up the steps to the lobby of her apartment, pausing briefly to take one last glance at the dark haired boy before she disappeared through the front door.

He tried everything he could but in the end, fate would not change. Red was going to have to go through with this meeting whether he liked it or not. The only question was: would it be a favorable one or would his reveal completely ruin everything they had built up until now?

It was a difficult question to ponder and unfortunately, only time would tell if it worked out or not. With one last deep breath, Red took one last glance at the apartment on Lapras Lane before turning around and slowly walking back to his house.

After coming so far, the last thing he wanted was to lose Leaf and had a lot of mental preparation to do before their meeting….with only a short amount of time to do it.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a state of complete and utter conflict, Leaf slowly made her way up the stairs to her room, the warm glow of her computer screen welcoming her as she entered her apartment.

Because of the events this morning making her scramble to get ready, Leaf had completely forgotten to turn her PC off before leaving and now it only served as a stark reminder of the events that were about to transpire.

What had once been the source of much joy and happiness now made Leaf's stomach churn as her mystery man's last message now illuminated in front of her.

 **From: THECHAMPION151**

 **That's awesome! You're right, it's been such a long time coming and I can't wait to finally see you face to face!**

 **Now…as far as where to meet…..I think the place you suggested is a great meeting spot (much less crowded than the café we planned to meet at before). What do you say to meeting around….4ish?**

 **If you're up for it, I'll make sure my Pokemon and I will be waiting for you : )**

Leaf bit her lip as she reread the message once again. Ever since they'd begun hanging out, she'd become so convinced that Red and her mystery man were one and the same that she never even considered….what if that wasn't the case? What if she was wrong and it was somebody else, how was she going to react?

Would she just accept him for who he was and forget about Red? Or…..would she have to unfortunately explain to her mystery man that….there was already somebody else in her life?

The thought continued to wrack Leaf's brain until she just couldn't take it anymore. " _I can't be worrying about this right now!_ " she thought as she quickly turned her PC off in an attempt to clear her head. " _I've waited so long for this moment. I….I have to see how this plays out!_ "

Despite that thought, Leaf's mind continuously drifted back to the look of pure sadness that was on Red's face as she left him. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get her mind off him and what had originally been time designated to finding an outfit to wear to this meeting, ended up being completely wasted on thinking about Red.

With literally only minutes left before the meeting was to take place, Leaf only had time to hastily run her hand through her hair and simply don her white premier ball hat once again as she prepared to set off. However, just as she was about to walk out the door, Leaf paused and took one last moment to contemplate her current situation.

" _I just….hope he understands if my response isn't a favorable one…._ "

With that, Leaf left her apartment and albeit a bit worryingly, made her way to the designated spot that she and her mystery man had agreed to meet at.

* * *

Near the center of Saffron was a huge park that housed many lush gardens within it. Flowers from various regions bathed these gardens in a sea of vibrant colors and Leaf could not think of a better place for their first encounter.

Upon arriving a bit sooner than expected, Leaf found a nearby bench to sit down on and took the time to sort through all the emotions that were currently swirling throughout her head.

How would she react to seeing her mystery man? How would he react to seeing her? Heck! Was he even going to show up at all?!

All these questions continued to constantly bombard Leaf's mind and the brunette haired girl could feel her stomach churn tighter and tighter as the time of the meeting drew near.

"Take it easy Leaf…" she personally coached in an attempt to calm herself down, "In just a few minutes he'll arrive and it'll all be over….."

After taking a few deep breaths, Leaf took a minute observe her surroundings. All the gardens were currently in full bloom and Leaf smiled melancholically as some happy couples passed by hand in hand. This was definitely a place that only couples would come to and Leaf curiously peeked around, hoping her mystery man would come soon and save her from the awkwardness of having to sit alone.

"4:10…." Leaf muttered as she hesitantly glanced down at her watch, "He's 10 minutes late…."

As much as she didn't want to admit it, doubt was seeping into her mind. Between what had happened last time and what Red had told her before he left, her stomach was literally in a complete knot right now as her biggest fear began to set in.

"He's not going to show….is he?" she whispered, biting her lip with fear as she frantically began to scan the area. Unfortunately, there was a huge hill right beside where she was sitting, so Leaf couldn't tell if someone was walking towards her or not. She then watched as the occasional person would walk over the hill, but none of which had a pokemon with them, nor did they pay her any attention.

Time continued to pass and by the time her watch showed 4:30, Leaf had reached her wit's end and buried her face into her arms. "I can't believe it! How could I let this happen again!" she stated as she began to openly weep into her arms, "I trusted him! How could he-"

*Poke* *Poke*

Leaf froze as she could feel something jump onto her lap and begin to tap her shoulder.

*Poke* *Poke*

It tapped again before a very familiar voice called out to her.

"Pika? Pi?"

No sooner did she hear that and Leaf's eyes immediately shot open to see a familiar looking yellow pokemon sitting on the bench next to her looking very concerned.

"Pika?" it asked and placed its stubby hand on her lap.

Leaf didn't know what to say as she stared at the tiny electrical pokemon in shock. "P…pikachu?" she stammered as a look of pure delight formed on the yellow pokemon's face.

"That….means….."

Before Leaf even had a chance to piece it all together, she heard a voice suddenly call out from over the hill.

"Pi….chu…"

It was faint, but in no time it quickly became clearer.

"Pikachu!"

Immediately, Leaf jumped to her feet and turned towards the hill, her heart beat faster and faster as she awaited the person whom that voice belonged to reveal themselves and soon enough….it happened.

* * *

Over the hill, he came running, with his vest blowing majestically in the wind and his red cap shinning in the sun light.

"Hey! Don't go running off on me! You know what happened last ti-"

The young man immediately lost his wording as he laid his eyes upon the brunette haired girl standing in front of him and Leaf watched as he panted wildly from his brief sprint.

Silence fell as the two stood there, still as statues, their eyes fixed on one other as they struggled to think of something to say.

"Hey….." Red finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity.

"H-hey…." Leaf somehow managed to reply back, her voice shaking from the mere shock of the revelations that she was experiencing.

With that, Leaf watched as the dark haired boy nervously glanced away and not really knowing how to even begin, said the first words that came to his mind. "I hear you know a lot about Pokemon." he stated before glancing over at his yellow partner, "I was wondering….if you could help me with a certain problem my Pikachu's been having lately?"

"T-that….depends…." Leaf hesitantly replied as she glanced towards Pikachu as well, "What kind of problems has he been experiencing?"

Red scratched his head, trying to play along the best he could. "Well…he's been quite hyper lately…always running around the house as if he's trying to find something." he explained and Leaf closed her eyes as she took his dilemma into consideration.

"….sounds to me like your Pokemon might be harboring a secret affection for someone and desperately wishes to see them." she noted before turning back to the dark-haired boy and adding, "….either that or you've been feeding him too many wacan berries lately."

Red rocked his head back and forth in thought, "I may…be guilty of that last one." he admitted as silence once again overcame them both and for the next few minutes, the only thing Red could hear was the distinct chirping of some Pidgeys nearby.

This was it, this was the moment he had been dreading for so long and no amount of stalling was going to make it any easier. Taking one last deep breath, Red slowly exhaled as he prepared to make his case, knowing that whatever her response would be, he needed to speak from the heart "You know….if someone would have told me that giving advice like that to some girl online would cause me to meet someone like you…..I'd have thought they were crazy." he shyly admitted to her, "But….that's what happened and after that day, talking to you became the thing I looked forward to the most every time I woke up…to the point that…all I desired was to meet the person who was behind that computer screen."

Red paused, as his mind drifted back to that night at the cafe, "But….when I finally did meet you…..when I learned of your true identity…..Leaf, how was I ever supposed to tell you?!" he exclaimed, his eyes watering from how passionate he was becoming, "After everything that had happened between us, I convinced myself that there was no way that you could ever accept that the man you see before you and the person you knew online were one in the same…."

The pokemon centre's owner sighed as he slowly began to walk down the hill towards the girl he once considered his competition. "I was scared, so I came up with a plan to get know you and...find a way to get you to look past all the problems we'd experienced together so you could accept me for who I was." he explained, his eyes shifting away as he shyly admitted, "However…much to my surprise, not only did my plan work….but it worked a little too well."

His words caused Leaf's heart to skip a beat as she watched him continue to avoid eye contact with her. "I didn't expect you to accept me as well as you did and I….didn't expect to fall for you as much as I have…" he revealed as he finally brought his eyes to meet hers, "Soon it became apparent that….I was playing two people for you and…the more you praised my online persona, the more I began to fear that…. I could never hope to live up to the expectations you had built up."

Leaf could feel her entire body shake as the pokemon centre owner finally stopped just mere inches from her, his voice quivering as he finally confessed. "Eventually….I just couldn't take it anymore…I didn't want to hold this inside any longer because…the fact of the matter is….I'm in love with you Leaf."

He watched as his confession caused a small gasp to leave Leaf's mouth as her cheeks turned beat red and her eyes widened further than he had ever seen them before.

"I've been in love with you…ever since I first met you on that different plane of existence over a year ago...and no matter how many obstacles were thrown my way, my feelings for you have never changed…"

Much to his surprise, the words rolled off Red's tongue much easier than he could ever have anticipated and in that moment, he felt a surge of relief as that huge burden he had been carrying for so long was suddenly lifted away. Now, there was just one thing left to find out and after exhaling slowly, finally asked.

"….but….the big question is….after all these revelations….how do you feel about me?"

Her heart beating a mile a minute after everything that was just revealed to her, Leaf could only stare at the pokemon centre owner in shock, unsure of how to even begin what she wanted to say. "Red…" she finally spoke, her mind a mix of emotions as his reveal had her feeling both relieved and a little upset as well,"You know how…..complex….the relationship we have with one another is…"

"I know….."

"….and to answer your question from earlier…yes….it is hard for me to forgive you." she stated, her voice continuing to maintain a level of sternness as she spoke, "Not only did you take away something that was very….dear to me….but your online persona also put me through a lot of emotional stress when you stood me up before….."

Her words hit Red like a truck and stung harder than any Beedrill stinger ever could. No matter how much he wished his reveal would be met with a fairy tale esque response, deep down he knew that after everything they had been through, gaining Leaf's acceptance would not be an easy task and hung his head low as a result. "…I understand that…" he mouthed as Leaf continued to sternly look at him.

"Knowing that…you….still want to know how I really feel about you?"

Red watched as her face softened ever so slightly and gasped. He was fully prepared to watch her walk away and couldn't believe that even after that whole verbal beating she'd given him, she was still going to answer his question.

"….yes…more than anything…." he muttered as Leaf sighed and glanced away.

"Okay…..close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"J-just close them!" she sternly declared and knowing better than to argue with her, Red finally conceded to her demand.

"Okay…."

Leaf watched as the pokemon centre owner did as he was told and sighed as she tried to mentally plan out her next move. It was such a simple thing to do and yet for Leaf, answering Red's question was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. There was just so much that had to be considered, so many different ways for her to effectively tell him what she truly thought….though, in the end, Leaf realized there was only one way to do it.

Swallowing hard, she placed her hands on the collar of Red's vest. From the looks of it, the pokemon centre owner was at least a full inch taller than her and gently pulled him forward so that he now stood at her level.

Then….standing face to face….Leaf took one last deep breath, closed her eyes, leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his as she did.

In that moment, all time came to a complete stop as the once internet lovers stood there, frozen in each other's embrace. It definitely was not the most spectacular kiss in the world, namely because both Red and Leaf were in such shock that they couldn't even bring themselves to move, but it didn't matter. Just feeling the soft touch of the other's lips was more than either of the two lovers could ask for and both wondered if what they were experiencing would ever come to an end.

"….you…." Leaf gasped as she slowly parted lips from the red-capped male, her breathing distorted by the very shock of her actions. "….you don't know how long I've waited to do that."

"Actually…." Red muttered in return as his eyes slowly opened to meet hers."….I think I have pretty good idea…."

* * *

The two hollowly chuckled at one another, breathing heavily as they tried to think of something to say to one another.

"I can't believe it…." Leaf finally whispered, "You're really him…."

"Hmm-mmm" Red nodded in approval before curiously raising his eyebrow, "Is that….a good thing?"

"Well to be honest, when I first started talking to you…I didn't know what to expect and like you said, I'm sure if you had revealed yourself to me back when we were still going head to head….I probably wouldn't have thought too much of it." Leaf admitted as she shyly glanced towards the ground, "But….after spending so much time with you the past while….Red….I wanted it to be you…."

The pokemon centre owner felt as if his heart was about to burst as the former daycare owner suddenly lunged towards him and firmly grasped his collar. "God I wanted it to be you so bad and I convinced myself that there was nobody else it could be!" she passionately exclaimed, her eyes tearing up as she buried her head into his vest.

Red gasped, completely caught off guard by her sudden actions and unsure of what he should say, simply scratched his head and said the first thing that came to his mind. "Yeah…..I didn't do a very good job at hiding myself…..did I?" he dully noted as Leaf immediately looked up from his chest.

"When you started saying things that my mystery man always did? Not really!" she exclaimed at the top of lungs, "Up until today I so sure that it had to be you!"

"Up until today?" Red confusingly replied causing Leaf to violently shake her head.

"Yes you jerk!" she yelled as she punched him in the shoulder, "After you poured your heart out to me earlier, I really began to doubt myself!"

"Leaf…."

"For the first time since we started hanging out I began to wonder: what would I do if Red really wasn't my mystery man? How would I react if there was someone else standing here when I arrived?" the brunette haired frighteningly pondered out loud before finally saying the words she had wanted to say to him for such a long time, "…..and how would he react when I had to tell him that…..there was already someone else I truly in love with?!"

Red could feel his whole body tense up. He had waited so long to hear those words from her and felt awful knowing that his actions had caused her to go through that.

"Leaf…I'm…sorry I-"

"I know…and I understand why you did what you did Red!" she quickly replied, raising her hand to his face before tightly wrapping her arms around him, "…I'm just glad you're here right now….."

Stunned by her sudden showing of affection, Red blushed as he slowly wrapped his arms around her as well.

"So….tell me…" she whispered upon looking up at him. "Was I…everything you expected?"

Unsure of how to answer such a question, Red scratched his head. "Honestly Leaf…when we first started talking I never really had a clear idea of what you would look like."

"I….I…really wanted to wear something special for our first meeting….." she shyly admitted, "But, after everything that happened today I didn't have any time to find a nice outfit and had to settle for my usual attire."

Red chuckled. While it was true that he had seen Leaf in her usual attire so many times over the past while, he honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Her standard green tank top and red skirt looked just as great as always and watching her long brunette hair blow freely in the wind under her white premier ball hat was something he could never get enough of. "Well, I think you look just as beautiful as ever Leaf." he calmly noted as he gently removed her hat and began running his hand though her hair, "….and believe me, when I finally did find out who you truly were and…got over that initial fact, it made reading those messages even more special than they already were."

Leaf blushed, feeling the gentle touch of Red's fingers as they slowly passed through her hair. However, upon taking what he had just said into consideration, Leaf had to wonder. "Red…just…how long has it been since you've known the truth?" she asked and Red sighed as he really didn't want to recall that memory right now.

"I'm pretty sure you know when I first found out." he dully replied, "After all….we set it up together."

Leaf's eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about.

"Y-you mean it was-"

"Yeah…our original meeting….at the café…."

No sooner did he reveal that and Leaf felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Of course that made sense, when else did they plan a meeting together?

"Oh Red…." she sighed as she recalled that night, "….and I was such a horrible person to you..."

"No, you weren't."

"Yes! Yes, I was!"

"Leaf…"

"I was a total bit-"

Before the former daycare owner could even get to finish what she was going to say, she was cut off as without warning, Red suddenly leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead.

"R-red?"

"I told you didn't I?" he noted as she stared at him wide eyed, "Whatever was said that night was probably deserved and I mean that."

Despite his words, tears could not stop flowing from Leaf's eyes. She felt so guilty for her actions that night and watched as Red smiled and pulled a tissue out of his pocket. "Come on….don't cry" he whispered as he wiped the tears from her eyes and began to slowly caress her face, "Don't cry Luckygirl, you know it breaks my heart every time you do…."

"Red…"

"It's okay…all that stuff happened between us before is in the past and you know I don't live in the past." he whispered as he slowly ran his hand through her hair and inched his face slowly towards hers, "All I want is just you and me in this moment….right now."

Before she even had a chance to react, Red leaned forward and tenderly pressed his lips against hers causing Leaf's heart to skip a beat as the pokemon centre owner wrapped one arm around her and caused her back to arch upwards as he pulled her even closer to him. It was a sensation of passion that Leaf hadn't felt in so long and let herself be taken in as Red proceeded to kiss her deeper and deeper.

"Is this… how every moment is with you?" Leaf gasped as they finally parted lips and Red simply nodded in return.

"…always." he mouthed before once again pressing his lips against hers, but this time Leaf was ready for him.

Wanting nothing more than for this moment to last forever she wrapped her arms around his neck and began slowly wrapping her tongue around his as they continued to feverously kiss one another. It seemed like nothing could stop their moment from lasting forever…..that was until Leaf felt something crawl up her arm and perch atop her shoulder.

"Pika! Pika!" It called out and as she slowly opened her eyes, Leaf could see the happy face of Red's Pikachu as it began nuzzling her face.

"Hee! Hee!" she giggled as she quickly released her lips from Red's and began petting the electrical pokemon, "Hey there! Do you feel left out?"

Unsure of what was going on, Red slowly opened his eyes as well and watched as his ecstatic yellow partner happily leapt over to his shoulder.

"Pikachu!" he hissed through clenched teeth as it began nuzzling him as well, "You're totally cramping my style right now!"

His words would fall on deaf ears as the electric pokemon glanced over at him and sarcastically shrugged. "Pika! Pi!" it nonchalantly replied before reaching into Red's bag, pulling out a huge envelope and running back over to Leaf's shoulder.

"Hmm?" she pondered as the yellow pokemon dropped the file in her hands, "What've you got there?"

Suddenly coming to a realization what it was that Pikachu had just given to her, Red quickly recoiled in shock. "Ahh! I wasn't going to give her that yet!" he frantically shouted causing Leaf to curiously look down at the envelope.

"W-what is it?"

Proud of what it had accomplished, Pikachu quickly ran back over to Red's shoulder and leaned up against him as it eagerly awaited Leaf's reaction to opening it.

Seeing just how excited his yellow partner was, Red smiled and gave it a quick nod before turning back to the confused brunette haired girl before him. "Well…..since you already have it, you'd might as well open it now." he offered as Leaf continued to stare at the envelope with a puzzled look on her face.

* * *

Slowly but surely, she curiously tore open the top of the envelope and reached inside, only to pull out a single piece of paper. However, this was just no ordinary sheet of paper and the mere sight of it nearly caused Leaf to fall over in disbelief.

"Oh my god!" she gasped, quickly covering her mouth to hide her shock, "T-this is…."

The page in question was a deed and not just any deed. While Leaf was too shocked to bother reading the fine print that preceded it, at the bottom of the page, written in big bold words was the address " _ **192 Sunflora Dr.**_ "

An address that she was familiar with….all too well.

"M…M…..My…..daycare?"

Leaf could not peel her eyes away from that paper. She thought she was dreaming and began rubbing the piece of paper with her fingers to make sure she wasn't.

"Yeah….your daycare." Red simply replied back, silently watching as this all occurred in front of him.

Hearing the sound of his voice, Leaf quickly snapped back to reality. She had so many questions bombarding her mind right now, but in the end, only one managed to be said. "H-how did you get this?!" she bafflingly asked as the paper rapidly shook in her hand. "When I handed it over to the bank they told it was-"

"Let's just say…..I have a friend in a high place that was able to pull some strings for me." Red quickly reassured her before pausing and shaking his head. "Trust me, I thought trying to get rid of your daycare was hard, but trying to get it back was another challenge entirely!"

Leaf let out a small chuckle as her eyes returned to the piece of paper that occupied her hands. However, upon looking over the deed once more and getting over her initial excitement, a harsh realization began to set in for Leaf and all too soon, Red watched as the beautiful smile that previously donned her face was slowly replaced with a look of pure disappointment.

"R-red….I...I….."

It was a harsh but true reality that even though she wanted nothing more than to relive those blissful days once more, she knew couldn't be the case.

"I-I can't accept this…."

Red recoiled in shock as Leaf suddenly shoved the paper back in his hands and cocked his eyebrow as she disappointingly looked down at her feet.

"Why's that?"

"Oh come on Red!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she finally looked up at him. "You know as well as I do that I don't have the money to afford running it!"

Much to Leaf's surprise, Red was completely unfazed by her statement and watched as he tipped his hat over his eyes. "You think I didn't consider that?" he cryptically stated, smiling as he gently pushed the deed back into Leaf's hands and pointed to it, "….why don't you take a look at the back and I'm sure all your questions will be answered."

Unsure of what he meant, Leaf quickly flipped the paper around and gasped. There was already a signature on it and the person who signed it was…

"Y-you?"

"Yeah….I purchased it…."

Leaf couldn't believe what she was hearing. "B-but! W-what about your daycare at the pokemon centre?!" she protested, but Red simply shrugged in response.

"I'd been….planning to expand it for a while now." he casually revealed to her, "….and since my new daycare's going to be offsite…..I'm going to need someone to help run it."

Leaf blushed as Red enclosed his hand around hers and began gently stroking it with his other, "Someone who…has experience…is...smart…..charismatic…..kind…..and above all else: loves taking care of Pokemon."

"R-red…."

"Look, my only condition is that you put my Red and Co. logo…somewhere on the daycare, even if it's on the back." he jokingly stated to her, "….and we'lI get you all new tools, everything you need to make it great once again."

As much as she wanted to give a response, Leaf just couldn't find a way to close her mouth. Was this really happening right now?

"Leaf I know that this won't atone for what I did to you in the past but…I really want to help you!" Red suddenly spoke up as he took both of her hands and held them in his own, "….and we'll make the Sunflora Daycare Centre just as good, if not better than it was before!"

"So….what do you say? Are you with me?"

Still in complete shock, Leaf watched as Red smiled and made her heart want to burst. "Red…." she finally spoke and with tears streaming down her eyes….nodded to him, "Yes…..Yes! Of course I'll be with you!"

Overcome with joy, Leaf leaped straight into Red's arms, the force of which caused the pokemon centre owner to stagger back as he tightly held onto her waist.

"Thank you…." she muttered while embracing him as tight as she could, "Thank you so much! I can't believe you did all this for me!"

Red didn't know what to say…partly because Leaf was squeezing him so hard that he could barely breathe, but also because…what could be said at this moment? Just seeing the pure amount of happiness that was being presented to him was something that Red had never experienced before. It was a feeling that could never be replicated and all Red could do was smile as Leaf sobbed tears of joy into his jacket.

"Well…I can't take all the credit. You should be thanking my boss too." he finally spoke up, remembering full well that Lance was a huge contributor to making this dream a reality as well, "He was the one who was able to help me get this."

Hearing that, Leaf finally looked up from Red's shoulder and stared down into his eyes as he continued to hold her high in the air. "Oh is that so?" she replied, a devious smirk forming on her face as she slowly caressed the side of Red's face and leaned towards him, "Well…..maybe you could do me a favor and share this message I'm about to give you with him as well?"

Before Red could even react, Leaf leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the cheek causing him to blush profusely. "Uhh…I-I guess I could tell him that." he stammered as Leaf finally released her lips from his cheek, "B-but I-I don't think it'll be the same coming from me!"

* * *

Leaf giggled as the pokemon centre owner slowly lowered her back to ground level. "Well….I guess we should get going. We have a lot of planning to do!" she stated as she placed her hand in his and began to tug him forward, "Come on Red! Let's g-"

"W-wait!" Red suddenly protested, causing Leaf to stop dead in her tracks and turn around.

"What's up?"

Red's face was completely flush, he knew how eager Leaf would be to start rebuilding her daycare, but after everything they've gone through, he really wanted to spend some personal time with her too. "W-well…I was wondering….before we got too absorbed into our new project…if you'd be free for a date?" he shyly asked causing Leaf to raise her eyebrow.

"A date huh?" she teasingly remarked, "What'd you have in mind?"

"Uhh…" Red stammered, "A-actually I didn't think that far ahead…"

A devious smirk suddenly formed on Leaf's face. Now that she knew that Red and her mystery man were one and the same, it was going to make teasing him all the better. "Oh really?" she playfully replied as she took her finger and traced it down his vest, "You weren't considering wanting to re-enact that little conversation we had a little while back were you?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Red exclaimed, his face now the exact same color as his namesake, "N-not yet anyway…."

Leaf couldn't help laugh, her once mighty adversary was being so cute right now and she couldn't get enough. "Well if that's the case….how about ice cream?" she quickly proposed, causing Red to give her a confused look in return.

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah!" she replied before bending down to the level of Red's electrical partner and asking. "What do you think Pikachu?"

"Pika! Pika!"

Content with its reaction, Leaf glanced back up to Red and smirked. "Well would you look at that! Two against one!" she teased, echoing the words she'd said when they first met.

Taken aback by her sudden reference, Red quickly shook his head as he tried to prove his point. "H-hey! I never said I was against the idea…it's just…aren't you watching what you eat?" he noted as she blushed in return.

"W-well…this is kind of a…special occasion Red!" she shyly admitted, "I can make an exception for today!"

Red chuckled, even though he knew otherwise, he wasn't about to press the issue. "Alright! Alright!" he mused, "We'll hit up the secret spot!"

"Great!"

* * *

With that, Leaf extended her hand to the pokemon centre's owner, excited to finally hold the hand of the one she loved and really have it mean something. However, what happened next was something that Leaf would never have expected.

"Shall w-"

Instead of grabbing her outstretched hand, Red leaned forward and gently wrapped his arm around her waist causing her to blush profusely.

"R-red?"

"You've been so distant from me for so long, I just want to be close to you."

She had no objections to that request and instinctively wrapped her arm around his waist as well, leaning her head against his chest as they began to walk down the road.

"Hey Red?" Leaf whispered as she nuzzled her head against his vest. "I've been wondering, now that this is all over...can you finally tell me what **Champion151** stands for?"

No sooner did she ask and Red began chuckling to himself. "Oh..it…just refers to how many pokemon there are in the pokedex." he simply replied casing Leaf to immediately glance up at him.

"That's it?!"

"Yeah…" he shrugged in response, "Nothing special."

"Nothing spec-"

Before Red knew what was happening, he suddenly felt a sharp pain as Leaf swiftly jabbed him in the side.

"Oww!" he yelled out, "What was that for?!"

"You jerk! I totally called that before and you told me I was wrong!"

"W-well! I couldn't just say you were right!" he quickly retorted, "I would've given myself away!"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Semantics!" she stated, waving Red off as she shook her head, "Let me guess the Champion portion of it is going to have a disappointing meaning too?"

Ashamed to admit it, Red rocked his head back and forth as he tried to dance around the issue. "W-well…I just thought it sounded cool….it doesn't have any real meaning…."

"Wow…." Leaf dully replied, shaking her head before revealing, "Well that's a shame because I've considered that title many things since we started talking to each other."

"R-really? Like what?"

Leaf shrugged as she began to recall all the past conversations, they'd had over the years. "I've considered you a champion…advice giver, a champion pokemon lover, champion business man." she then paused as she remembered one particular memory and upon looking up at Red, stated, "….and above all else….you were MY champion through all this….and you had my heart ever since that first message you sent me."

Red stared into her shimmering eyes and smiled. "You had my heart too Luckygirl." he whispered as he gently kissed the side of her temple, "….and no matter what plane of existent we were on….you always did."

That said, Leaf sighed and closed her eyes as Red gently pulled her even closer to him. After such a long period of ambiguity, the two had finally found each other and as the sun slowly began to set behind them, it signaled more than just the beginning of a new day. For Red and Leaf, it signified the ending of one life and the beginning of another.

One that they would now share….together.

* * *

 **...and that's it ladies and gentleman…which is what I would be saying if the story was actually over, but I still have an epilogue to write so...we're not done quite yet (I know terrible right?). Also, I'm going to save my final thoughts, shout outs and a certain…obligation I made for the epilogue and I wouldn't be surprised if all that ends up being longer than the actual epilogue itself lol.  
**

 **However, before I go I just want say a couple things. This story has taken a long time, I mean a LONG time to finish. The original idea was to start the story in February of 2016 and finish it by the end of the year...it is currently September of 2017! This story has taken alot longer to finish than planned and there's alot of reasons as to why that was. True, having a hard time getting motivated to write would sometimes be the problem, but mainly it was that I really wanted to make each chapter the best they could be. I'm definitely no pro, but I tried the best I could and I appreciate each and every one of you who's faved, followed and especially reviewed the story, it really does mean alot. Some of you have been reviewing since the beginning which is insane! and trust me I'll make sure to give my gratitude next chapter.**

 **I guess what I just want to say is...thank for sticking around as long as you have and I hope you've enjoyed this story, just as much as I have writing it!  
**

 **Thank you so much and...for the final time, I will see you at the epilogue when we finally close the book on this story.**


	14. Epilogue: A New Beginning to End an Era

**Hello ladies and gentleman. This is it! After almost 2 years of writing, we've arrived at the conclusion of You've Got Pokemail. I know it's been a long...LONG journey to get here and I hope you guys have enjoyed the ride as much as I have!**

 **Once again, this was SUPPOSED to be nothing than a little epilogue and wound up being just as long as the other chapters lol. (Because OF COURSE it did!)**

 **So that being said, strap in and enjoy the final chapter!**

* * *

Epilogue: A New Beginning to End an Era

*BEEP *BEEP *BEEP*

It was 8:00 am in the morning and as if on schedule, a familiar chorus of alarms universally rang out in every house of Saffron City.

Though darkness was still prevalent, the morning sun quickly began rising up, hugging each building with its warm glow and shining light into every window, signaling that it was time to get up.

As such, in no time flat, the streets of Saffron were alive, bustlingly with people going about their daily routine and much to the surprise of many, that also included a certain dark-haired boy and his brunette haired partner.

Though they parted from two totally different locations, their destination was one and the same: A small, quaint building on 192 Sunflora Dr.

For many, this building was once considered to be nothing more than a lost cause. A piece of abandoned history that could never be replicated no matter how hard someone tried and yet…only a few months after its closing date, something happened that nobody could've ever predicted.

….it had suddenly reopened.

However, despite the building being the same and donning the same name as before…..said building was not...entirely as people would remember it.

While the sign out front definitely said: " _ **Sunflora Daycare Centre**_ " Keen-eyed passerby's were quick to pick up on the subtle changes that were present. In particular was the little red insignia underneath the sign that clearly said: " _ **Red and Co's Super Pokemon Centre.**_ "

Though somewhat confused as to what this meant, word of the daycare's reopening quickly spread from region to region and before long, people were flocking to the quaint old building, curious as to what kind of changes had been made to warrant its reopening.

….and all it took was one simple step inside to see what those changes were.

Numerous Nurse Joys now ran about the daycare, treating Pokemon with tools that were never possible to have at one time and thanks to the inclusion of rooms with higher ceilings, Pokemon of numerous sizes could now roam freely about without having to be constrained to their pokeball.

However, despite these differences, at its core, the daycare remained untouched. Its interior aesthetic was as quaint as always, its cheery atmosphere had not diminished in the slightest and above all else, at the helm of it all stood a girl.

* * *

A girl that had the respect of her customers both new and old, a girl that was once thought to be gone forever and for that said girl, being back in this position again was like a dream.

Was it the exact same Sunflora Daycare Centre she remembered?

No.

Nothing could ever replicate the quaint little daycare her mother had once left for her and Leaf understood that.

This was a new Sunflora Daycare Centre and its reopening signified much more to the brunette haired girl than just returning to the job she loved.

…..it was a sign of a new beginning.

" _I still can't believe it…_ " she quietly thought as she paused to take the time to observe all the happy customers wandering about from her desk, " _To think that after all that happened, I would be here once again._ "

"Oh Leaf?" A voice called out, but the brunette haired girl was far too occupied in her thoughts to acknowledge it.

" _I know it may not be the same place you left me, mom._ " she continued to think to herself, " _But I hope that you and the customers can come to accept the new changes that have been made and be proud of what we've accomplished._ "

"LEAF!" The voice announced much louder this time and in doing so, finally caused Leaf to snap out of her thoughts and spin around.

"Oh Lyra!" she exclaimed as she came face to face with the pig-tailed girl whom the voice belonged to, "What's up?"

Lyra humorously shook her head at her friend's actions. Situations like this had been happening a lot lately and although it may have annoyed her at times, Lyra couldn't help but share Leaf's sentiments. Just being back in their old building, doing what they did best, it was almost like they had never left and even though Lyra would never admit to it, she was also guilty of just taking the time to watch the customers as well.

"Someone has a question for you." she stated and with a reassuring nod, sidestepped to reveal a little girl standing there, with her hands firmly clasped around a pokeball.

"Ms. Leaf?" she nervously asked as the brunette haired girl quickly knelt to her level.

"Yes sweetie, what can I do for you?"

Leaf watched as the little girl glanced down at the pokeball before raising it up to her eye level, "Do you mind taking a look at my Pokemon? I think he's sick."

"Aww….is he?" Leaf replied as she rubbed the girl's shoulder to try and ease her tension, "Well bring him out and I'll see what I can do!"

Despite Leaf's kind words, the look of nervousness remained on the little girl's face as she once again glanced down at the pokeball and admitted. "Umm…well…he's kinda big…."

"Big?"

"Yeah…really big!"

Leaf chuckled. After taking care of so many different types of pokemon over the years, whatever was in that ball couldn't possibly compare to some of the pokemon she'd treated before.

"Ah! He can't be that bad!" she confidently stated, now more intrigued than ever to see what kind of challenge awaited her, "Bring him out!"

With Leaf's consent, the girl finally conceded and threw the pokeball in the air, causing the brunette haired girl to stagger back as an enormous Dragonite suddenly materialized in front of her and began viciously thrashing about.

At a complete loss for words, all Leaf could do was stare at the mighty pokemon as Lyra slowly walked up beside her with her eyes wider than Leaf had ever seen. "Oh, wow….he really is kinda big huh…." the pig-tailed girl muttered in disbelief as the little girl quickly returned Dragonite to its pokeball.

"Do you think you can help him ?"

Still frozen in shock, the brunette haired girl finally snapped out of her trance. Thanks to how small the old daycare was, it was rare for Leaf to treat bigger pokemon and even though she was comfortable working with them, seeing them more often was something she was still adjusting to. "Uhh…of course I can sweetie!" she confidently assured the little girl before comedically slapping her assistant on the back, "Right Lyra?"

No doubt thinking the same thing Leaf was, Lyra quickly came back to reality as well. "T-that's right!" she agreed as the two simultaneously winked and noted.

"Don't worry! Everything's going to be A-OK!"

As if on cue, the girl's face suddenly lit up. "Really?! Thank you so much!" she greatfully exclaimed as Leaf directed her to a nearby back room that was built to house large pokemon.

* * *

Upon returning to Lyra's side, Leaf's eyes glanced over as Lyra slowly leaned her head towards hers. "You do realize what this is going to require…right?" she whispered causing the brunette haired girl to chuckle in return.

"Uh-huh…we're going to need Haban berries….lots and lots of Haban berries." Leaf noted before smirking at Lyra and cheekily adding, "Which means…..we're going to need the boys to help us!"

In an instant, Lyra clasped her hands together. If there was one thing she looked forward to every day, it was getting a chance to order her new co-workers around. "Alright! I'll go find out where Ethan is!" she stated before wrapping her arm around Leaf's shoulder and with a devilish smile donning her face whispered, "….and I'll let you go fetch your mystery man!"

In an instant, Leaf gasped. It had been so long since someone referred to Red as such and her face became totally flush as a result. "Lyra!" Leaf exclaimed, quickly shoving the pig-tailed girl away and sternly pointing at her face, "We can't call him that anymore!"

The smirk on Lyra's face only grew wider. "Why not?!" she teasingly wondered as she playfully shoved Leaf back, "That's who he is, isn't he?"

"Y-yeah! But-"

"Ciao lover girl!"

Without warning, Lyra suddenly threw up the peace sign in front of Leaf's face before turning around and running to another part of the daycare, leaving the brunette haired girl standing there with her face completely flush.

" _Oh she is so dead when I see her next….._ " she frustratingly thought and after taking a moment to compose herself, Leaf sighed as she prepared to make her way outside.

After working with him for some time now, Leaf was pretty quick to catch on that Red would frequent certain places throughout the day and right now she had a pretty good idea of where her "mystery man" was at this time.

* * *

Stepping outside to the back of the daycare, Leaf's eyes were met with a sight that, to this day, she still couldn't believe she'd agreed to building.

Lining the ground were multiple battlefields where young up and coming trainers could be tutored by some local veterans as they prepared for their pokemon journey.

Of course, as the one responsible for such an idea, Red would frequently drop by said training ground, assisting the new trainers in any way he could and from the looks of it, today was no different as far off in the distance, Leaf quickly spotted his distinguishable red-cap and began making her way over.

"Now remember Joey, even though Charmelon is a fire-type, it can still utilize other moves like metal claw to gain the advantage over rock-types!" Red calmly explained to a little boy he had encountered before.

"Steel-type moves are super-effective against rock-types right?"

Amused by the boy's curiosity, Red chuckled. "That's correct!" he nodded in response.

"RED!"

The sudden announcement caused both Red and the little boy to glance up from their pep talk, only to see a familiar face running towards them.

It was a sight that Red had seen many times over the past few months and no matter how many times he saw her, Red still couldn't believe it. Watching her little premier ball hat bouncing around as her long brunette hair blew majestically in the wind; Red couldn't get enough and smiled warmly as she finally reached them.

"Hey….mind if I….butt in here?" Leaf panted wildly as the little boy suddenly grabbed her hand in excitement.

"Ms. Leaf! I'm learning how to take on rock-types!"

The brunette haired girl couldn't help but giggle at his excitement and upon glancing over his shoulder, saw Red kneeling there with a look of complete content on his face. For the pokemon centre owner, being able to pass on his battling knowledge was something he'd always wished to do and thanks to the new daycare, that dream had now become a reality.

Knowing this, Leaf couldn't be happier for Red and gave him a reassuring nod before turning her attention back to the little boy. "Really? That's awesome sweetie!" she happily exclaimed, "Does that mean you're going to take on the pokemon league?"

"That's right!"

Leaf giggled as the boy confidently placed his hands on his hips. From the way he was acting, it was clear that Red had given him a lot of advice.

"Well I hate to ask sweetie, but do you mind if I borrow your teacher for a bit?" she asked causing Red to raise his eyebrows, "I really need his help."

"Sure thing Ms. Leaf!" the boy happily replied before turning back to the pokemon centre owner and bowing, "Thanks for all your help today mister!"

Red nodded in return as he rose to his feet. "Just keep on training and remember the strategy I told you and you'll be fine." he cryptically assured the boy before tipping his hat and joining Leaf as they began making their way back to the daycare.

* * *

As they proceeded to pass by battlefield after battlefield, Red gave Leaf a confused look. Even though she had requested his help, she hadn't actually told him just what he was assisting with and as they approached the daycare, Red finally asked.

"So…what's do you need me to do Leeeaaaa-"

Before Red could even react, Leaf suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him into a small alcove at the side of the daycare where no one could see them.

Then, in a blink or you miss it moment, passionately crashed her lips against his causing Red to stagger against the wall as he quickly grabbed hold of her waist to kiss her back.

"Okay….that was.…one heck of a greeting." he gasped as Leaf finally released his lips and put on a pouty face in front of him.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day!"

Still reeling from what just happened, Red took a second to compose himself. "S-sorry! I had a lot of meetings to attend today and I couldn't help it." he sincerely apologized before driving the conversation back to his original topic, "Anyway, what is it you need of me?"

"Sweetie…."

"It's never a good thing when you start with that…"

"…..I need you."

No sooner did she say that and Red immediately cocked an eyebrow at her statement. "Uhh…honey? You do you realize we're still at work right?" he jokingly noted, nervously glancing around to make sure no one could see them.

"Oh I know…." she teasingly replied, the smirk on her face growing bigger by the second, "Am I not allowed to say what's on my mind?"

"Well….I AM your boss." Red noted, trying his best to act stern given the circumstances, "It would be a shame I was to have to…..punish you for your actions."

The two continued to stare intensely at one another for as long as they could…until they just couldn't hold it in anymore. Neither one knew who snorted first, but in no time, everything broke down as they hysterically laughed at each other's actions.

"Hee! Hee!" Leaf giggled before finally managing to compose herself, "Actually, the reason I need you is because I have a sick Dragonite and I was wondering if you could help move a crate of Haban berries for me?"

"That's it?" Red confusingly replied, puzzled that such a simple request took her so long to ask, "Alright then! Let's head over to the-"

"HOLD ON MISTER!"

Before Red could move an inch, Leaf once again grabbed hold of his jacket and began feverously brushing his hair with her hand. "Look at you! You're such a mess right now Reddy!" she teasingly noted, "As the former owner of the Sunflora Daycare Centre, I can't have the new owner walking in there looking the way you do!"

"…..Reddy?" he confusingly replied, "What kind of nickname is th-"

Once again, before Red could finish, he was cut off as Leaf suddenly pressed her finger to his lips, shutting him up instantly. Right now she had that look in her eye and Red knew that when she did, Leaf was completely focused on the task at hand and nothing could deter her from it.

As such Red remained silent as the brunette haired girl pulled and primed at his collar and rapidly ran her hand down his vest to straighten it out.

Once she was finally satisfied, Leaf took a step back to admire her handiwork before quickly leaning forward and kissing Red on the lips.

"A cute one! That's what it is!" she finally answered teasingly tapping the side of Red's cheek before grabbing his hand and pulling him forward, "Come on, let's go before Ethan finishes all the work!"

* * *

Upon making their way inside, Red and Leaf could already see Ethan hard at work as he attempted to lift the heavy crate by himself. However, it was clear that this was a fruitless effort as all it took was a meager 2-steps for the yellow-capped boy to keel over in exhaustion.

"This…is….impossible…." he panted heavily before noticing Red and Leaf walking towards him and springing to his feet, "Oh! Thank goodness! The cavalry has arrived!"

"It seems you're having a bit trouble." Red mused as Ethan staggered towards him

"Oh you have NO idea!" the yellow capped boy exclaimed as he pointed to a corner of the daycare with a look of sheer terror, "I tell ya Red! That Lyra chick is a real slave driver!"

Red glanced in the direction Ethan was pointing only to see the pig-tailed girl standing there with her arms crossed. "Oh! Don't act like you don't like getting ordered around Ethan!" she mused as she walked right up to both Red and Leaf with a mischievous smirk on her face and teasingly inquired, "So….what were you two doing that made you take forever to get here?"

"Uhh…." they both said in unison with their faces both going flush as a result. Between all that flirtatious banter, Red and Leaf must've lost track of time and obviously not wanting Lyra to know the details of their discussion, quickly attempted to make up an excuse.

"Umm…we were….discussing some things." Red spoke up causing Lyra to raise her eyebrows with intrigue, "Some….important….things!"

"Uh-huh…." she dully replied before nudging Leaf's side and whispering, "Just because your days of cyber-sex are over doesn't mean that you two can skip out on work!"

"LYRA!" Leaf exclaimed as she grabbed both of Lyra's hands and began to playfully struggle with her. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU…."

Completely oblivious as to what they were talking about, Red simply shook his head before attempting to break them up.

"Hey! Take it easy you tw-"

"Whoa! Hold on Red!" Ethan suddenly interjected, quickly extending his arm across his chest to prevent him from moving forward, "I wanna see how this ends!"

Red glanced over at his yellow capped assistant before returning his gaze to the two girls and upon watching Leaf put Lyra into what almost looked like a headlock, couldn't help but begin to feel….intrigued as well. "Actually now that you mention it….I kinda want to see how this ends too!" he mused as both he and Ethan reached into their pockets and pulled out some Poke-dollars.

"Okay! How much are we betting on this?"

"HEY!" Leaf's voice suddenly yelled out causing the two boys to immediately snap to her attention, "Are you boys planning on bringing that crate to the back or are you going to stand there all day?!"

"B-bringing that crate to the back at once Ms. Green!" Ethan quickly spoke up, saluting the brunette haired girl as a sign of his commitment, "Come on Red!"

The dark-haired boy watched as Leaf giggled at his assistant's ridiculous actions and could feel a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as she came walking over to him. "W-we'll have this taken care of in no time Leaf." he reassuringly added as a devious smile formed on Leaf's face.

"Well I should hope so!" she slyly replied as she traced his jacket up and down, "I don't think you want to know what happens if you keep me waiting!"

Before Red could even reply, Leaf suddenly kissed him on the cheek, gave him a seductive look that could only be interpreted as: " _ **You know what you have to do to make me happy!**_ " and happily ran over to her pigtailed friend.

"Come on Lyra! Let's go get set up!" she happily stated and with a quick wave goodbye, the two took off.

Red gulped hard as watched them disappear into the back. Despite being with Leaf for a few months now, he had to admit, there were definitely times when he really couldn't tell what was going on that head of hers.

Was she being serious or just playing around? Red didn't know and Red didn't want to find out.

She was so unpredictable and despite it being a bit annoying at times, Red couldn't help but love that unpredictability. It definitely made every day he spent with this girl seem like an adventure.

* * *

"Ah, love…." Red sighed with content as he and Ethan simultaneously squatted down to lift the heavy crate, "It's not what it used to be Ethan."

Red's statement caused the yellow-capped individual to chuckle. After all the years of knowing each other, it was clear to Ethan that Red's demeanor had definitely changed over the past few months. He seemed much more relaxed and even his face seemed to have a lot more color in it than before.

"Well, there's only ever been 2 kinds." Ethan noted as they began walking over to the back room, "There's quick ball relationships that start off strong, but quickly peter out because they were nothing but passion."

As he spoke, the two reached their destination and upon lowering the crate, Red raised his eyebrows as Ethan continued. "….and then there's timer ball relationships….." he cryptically added, "Where it starts off slow, but only grows in power the more time is allowed to pass."

"That's the kind you and Leaf have."

Red was speechless. In all the years he had known Ethan, never had he heard such…..poetic words come out of his mouth and couldn't help but be subtly impressed. "You're a poet Ethan." the red-capped boy praised, patting his friend on the back before glancing skyward and cheekily adding, "I don't know if you're a very good poet, but…..you're a poet!"

Ethan stood there with a puzzled look on his face, unsure if his boss's words should make him feel proud or offended. However, before even had a chance to respond, Ethan was caught off-guard as the voice of a familiar individual suddenly added her thoughts to the conversation.

"Hey, I thought it was pretty good!" Leaf surprisingly announced causing both boys to jump as she suddenly emerged from the back, "What do you think Lyra?"

"Hmm….similes are off and there's no rhyme to it…." the pig-tailed girl harshly critiqued before pausing and scratching the back of her head, "But…other than that….I guess you've got potential."

No sooner did those words leave Lyra's mouth and the goofiest grin formed on Ethan's face. "HA-HA! Did you hear that Red?" he cheered while slapping his boss on the back, "I have potential!"

The red-capped boy sighed, shaking his head as he watched his yellow-capped assistant happily dance about. "Oh…..you have potential alright…." he dully muttered to himself before walking over to where Leaf and Lyra were standing and placed his arms around both of them, "So tell me, ladies, is there anything else we can assist you with?"

Ethan's joyous dance came to a complete halt as he watched this play out in front of him and his jaw fell as both Leaf and Lyra giggled at Red's sudden bold move. "Hey Red! Don't hog them both!" he exclaimed.

Despite his yelling, Red wasn't fazed a bit and with a quick glint of his eye and a shrug of his shoulders, teasingly stated. "Ethan you have to understand….as the owner I can do what I please." he noted as he glanced over at the brunette haired girl beside him, "Isn't that right Leaf?"

"Can't say I can argue with that point." she giggled in response, "What about you Lyra?"

"You'd better believe I'm not arguing!" Lyra quickly replied before leaning forward and happily hugging Red tight, "I'm here now and I ain't downgrading anytime soon!"

Ethan was frozen in shock as he finished listening to what was said. "Wha-" he mouthed as his face scrunched up tighter than Red had ever seen, "Whatta ya mean DOWNGRADE?!"

Unable to hold it in any longer, the three began to laugh hysterically at Ethan's misfortunes and soon enough the yellow capped individual wound up joining in as well. Of course, this was all in good fun as it had become typical for the four to routinely tease one another throughout the day. It definitely added to the fun-loving nature of daycare and to no one was that more apparent than to the two individuals watching from afar.

* * *

"Well, it sure seems like they're having a good time huh?" Cynthia sighed as she leaned against a nearby banister. After all the hardships that she, Leaf and Lyra had endured in the past, getting another chance to relive their days at the daycare was like a dream come true for the elder trainer and as she watched her friends happily go about their day, she could only hope that this feeling of content would last forever.

However, despite feeling like she was the happiest person in the world, Cynthia's feelings were not just exclusive to her as the cape-wearing man standing right beside her was currently experiencing the exact same feelings that she was. "Yeah…enjoying what you do is one of the most important things in life." Lance added as he watched his young protégé with content.

Slowly nodding in agreement, Cynthia took one last look at her friends before turning to face the dragon master. "True….but they're still going to need our help to make that possible."

Lance nodded as well and was just about to resume their previous discussion when a familiar voice called out.

"Cynthia!"

The two quickly snapped to attention, only to see Leaf running towards them at a lighting speed.

"Hey Leaf, what do yo-"

"No time to talk!" she quickly interjected, "I got a rampaging sick pokemon in the back and I really need your expertise!"

Before the blond-haired trainer even knew what was happening, Leaf had grabbed her hand and began tugging her forward. "O-okay! Hold on Leaf!" she stammered as she quickly turned to Lance and waved goodbye, "It was nice talking to you!"

Chuckling as she was forcefully dragged off, the dragon master gave the blond-haired trainer a quick wave back before sighing and giving the daycare one last look over.

It was a very surreal feeling that after everything the dragon master had been through in his life, he would be standing in the very same place someone very important to him once owned.

"….it's pretty isn't it?"

Quickly snapping out of his thoughts, Lance turned to see his red-capped protege , standing there, overviewing the daycare by his side.

"Yes, it is…." he simply replied, "No matter how many times I come here…..it's always nostalgic for me."

A faint smile formed on Red's face. He remembered, full well, the story Lance told him about his past and proceeded to give him a pat on the back as the dragon master continued quietly overlooking the daycare.

"….and to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today?" the red-capped boy teasingly wondered, knowing that Lance wouldn't just show up for no reason, "Normally you let me know when you're coming."

"I was just in the area and dropped by to check up on things." Lance casually explained before narrowing his eyes, "There's some information I wanted to share with you."

"Information? What kind?"

Red watched as his boss suddenly crossed his arms. Deep down there was a cynical part of Lance's mind that wanted to draw this out for as long he could and make Red worry about what he was going to say. However, he couldn't hold up that act for long and with a warm smile, revealed. "….profits are up 300%" he announced causing Red to go wide-eyed as he handed him some charts, "It seems that your little hunch has paid off!"

Red's eyes could not peel away from what he saw on that paper. Granted, he figured that reopening the daycare would bring some success, but could never have imagined how much and after what felt like an eternity of not being able to close his mouth, finally said. "W-well…..let's not forget who made this whole thing a reality in the first place." Red stammered, making sure to acknowledge Lance for all his contributions as without them, none of this would even have been possible, "….and I wouldn't call it just a hunch."

Lance raised an eyebrow as Red handed the papers back to him. "Leaf's a respectful woman, she's an inspiration to those around her, she's…." without warning, Red suddenly trailed off as he noticed Lance was suspiciously starting to shake his head at him and upon piecing it all together, muttered.

"….standing right behind me isn't she?"

Red watched as Lance nodded in response and slowly turned around to see the brunette haired girl standing there, arms crossed with the biggest smile on her face.

"Oh! Don't stop now sweetie!" she mused as Red stared at her like he had just been caught in the act, "Keep going and see where it gets you!"

The pokemon centre owner was frozen with embarrassment as she suddenly walked up and kissed him on the cheek causing his boss to chuckle out loud. "I-I…uhh….I"

"However!" Leaf quickly interjected, raising her finger up to Red's face, "Before you do that, I really do need your assistance in the back. So if you please….."

Red didn't have to ask twice if she was joking with him. Leaf was always very serious when it came to injured pokemon and the look in her eyes right now was more than enough to show that she meant business.

"R-right away Leaf!" Red stammered, quickly waving goodbye to Lance before bolting his way to the back.

"But thank you for the compliment it made my day!" Leaf humorously called out, but Red was clearly too far away to hear her.

* * *

Lance couldn't help but chuckle. Even though Red was the one who officially owned the daycare, it was clear who was truly the one in charge and it amused him to no end. "Ms. Green." he greeted as she turned around to face him.

"Mr. Lance! It's good to see you again!" she happily replied, "It's been awhile!"

Lance watched as she happily shook his outstretched hand and sighed. While they had met prior when Red brought Leaf to his office to introduce the two of them, this was the first time they would be talking one on one and Lance couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

The look she had on her face….it was causing all kinds of nostalgic memories to come flooding back.

"Well…I'm usually pretty busy, but I'm going to try to make it a point to come here more often." he reassured, trying his best to maintain his composure, "How have things been? I trust everything to your liking?"

"Is it?! You spoil me!" Leaf exclaimed as she pointed to a nearby device, "That new poffin maker you installed has been a huge lifesaver for us!"

She sounded like a little kid that had just received her first bike. Such a simple thing that Lance spared no expense putting into each of his Pokemon Centres had brought this girl so much joy.

"You've given me so many new things that I could never afford at the old daycare." Leaf shyly admitted to him, "…and while my main focus will always be home remedies, you don't know how many more Pokemon I'll be able to help thanks to this equipment."

"Leaf…."

"Honestly…I can't thank you and Red enough."

Lance froze. His lips quivering as he fought back the emotions that were welling up inside of him. "Well….I….owed a favor….." he admitted causing Leaf to curiously look at him.

"A favor?"

"Yes….a favor…" Lance slowly responded, "You see Leaf…I once-"

"Ms. Green, we're ready for you!" A nurse joy suddenly called out and the dragon master immediately paused as Leaf quickly turned to face her.

"Perfect! I'll be right there!" she happily replied before turning her attention back to Lance, "Sorry for the interruption Mr. Lance. What were you going to say?"

The dragon master sighed as he looked down at Leaf. For a while now, he had pondered whether to tell her the truth about the past events in his life and even though he wanted to tell her, now was clearly not the time. "Ahh…I'll tell you another time." he sighed before quickly changing the subject, "It seems like you have a lot going on right now."

The brunette girl nodded in response. "We have a very sick Dragonite in the back" she explained causing Lance to raise his eyebrows in intrigue.

"A Dragonite huh?" he chuckled to himself, "They can be pretty rambunctious when sick can't they?"

Leaf was taken aback, that was exactly the problem she was facing right now. "How do you know that?" she curiously wondered as Lance chuckled to himself.

"Oh! I own one."

"You do?!"

It was like a lightbulb went off in Leaf's head and in a sudden moment of boldness, decided to ask her boss. "In that case, would you mind giving us a hand?"

Lance was taken aback. After all the years of owning Pokemon Centre's, no one had ever asked him to help with treating a sick pokemon before. "M-me?!" he stammered, a bit unsure how to respond to such a request, "I-I don't know how much help I can be-"

It was too late as in an instant, Leaf put on the best pouty face she could and faster than she could say: " _ **Please.**_ " Lance had already caved in.

"A-alright! Alright! I'll give it a try!"

"Awesome! Thank you so much!" Leaf excitedly cheered before placing her hand on the dragon masters and leading him forward, "Come on! Follow me!"

Still baffled by the events that had occurred, Lance slowly followed, admittedly feeling a bit embarrassed as he walked past all the customers. Never in his life did he ever think something like this would happen and as he turned towards Leaf, the most peculiar thing happened. For just the slightest of moments, Lance could have sworn he saw her mother's figure, smiling at him as they walked hand in hand and even though it was only for a second, it gave the dragon master that sense of closure he had desired for years.

" _You'd be so proud of her right now…._ " he contently spoke to her in his mind, " _I hope you can rest easy knowing that I'll be watching over her._ "

With that, everybody disappeared into the back laughing and conversing with one another as they worked together to heal the rouge Dragonite.

Once that was accomplished, the day passed by rather quickly as customers poured into the newfound daycare by dozens to experience its services first hand and in no time flat, Red and Leaf would find themselves saying goodbye to everyone before proceeding to their next point of interest.

* * *

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"

"Pachirisu! Use Tackle!"

The roars of the audience at the battle square were nearly deafening as the two electrical pokemon charged at each other, sparks flying in the ensuing clash that followed.

"Aaannnndddd it looks like draw folks!" the announcer screamed out as Pikachu swiftly landed on its feet and spun around to face its opponent head-on, "What kind strategy could trainer Leaf be thinking of next?"

Ever since her first match a while back, Leaf found herself growing increasingly interested in pokemon battling and much to the surprise of herself and those around her, battling came quite natural to the brunette haired former daycare owner as she quickly rose through the ranks of challengers that the battle square had to offer.

Of course throughout all this Red was completely ecstatic, coaching and encouraging her every step of the way. "I see you're having no trouble adjusting to muti-regional pokemon." he mused as Leaf turned and flashed a cocky grin.

"They're no match for Pikachu and I!" she declared before turning her attention back to the battle at hand, "Now! It's time to wrap this up!"

With a sharp point of her finger, Leaf prepared to make her final move.

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!"

Caught off-guard by its blinding fast speed, the opposing Pachirisu could do nothing as Pikachu slammed head-on into it, the force of which caused the tiny squirrel pokemon to fly back and hit its trainer smack-dab in the face.

"Aaaannnddd that's the match folks!" The announcer yelled at the top of his lungs, "Victory goes to Leaf and Pikachu!"

Everyone in the audience was on their feet cheering as Leaf ran out onto the battlefield and hugged Pikachu tight.

"We did it again Pikachu!"

"Pika! Pika!"

Watching from afar, Red shook his head with content. In such a short amount of time, she had managed to come so far and it impressed him to no end. "Congratulations Leaf!" he praised as he walked over to her side, pausing briefly to glance at the poor trainer and pokemon that she had just KOed, "But ….do you think maybe you might have overdone it a little?"

"Hee! Hee! Mayyyybeee!" she teasingly replied and Red watched in confusion as she and Pikachu began giggling amongst each other.

"What's so funny?"

Briefly collecting herself so she could explain, Leaf turned towards where her opponent was currently sprawled out on the ground. "Check out the way that Pachirisu landed on its trainer!" she pointed out, snickering as she humorously declared, "It almost looks like they're kissing!"

It took a minute for Red to fully absorb what she had just said and the completely dumbfounded look he currently had plastered on his face probably made him look stupider then he felt.

"Wha-Leaf!" he exclaimed, but she quickly waved him off.

"Oh come on Red!" Leaf stated, rolling her eyes as she grabbed his face and forcefully made him look at the scene in front of them, "Look at the position they're in and tell me they're not!"

Despite trying his best not look, Leaf's forceful grip made it so that he eventually had to and the instant he laid eyes on the scene in front of him, what was said could not be unseen.

She was right…..it looked like they were kissing and the nightmares he was going to have as a result were all on her.

"You…." he gasped and unsure of what to say, gave Leaf a light shove as he declared, "You're so bad!"

"Hee! Hee! I know!" she teasingly replied while brushing up alongside him, "Don't act like you don't like it!"

Knowing that there was no way he was going to win this battle, Red simply chuckled and shook his head as he and Leaf left the battlefield hand in hand.

* * *

To the naked eye, it appeared that everything was going well for the new couple. However, amongst all the laughs and happy exterior Red was putting on for Leaf, the truth was, he actually feeling very nervous right now.

Turns out, that morning Red had made a decision to ask the brunette haired girl a very important question….one that would significantly change their relationship going forward depending on how she answered.

The thought of her decision had been eating him up all day and Red found himself nervously fiddling about his coat pocket as Leaf picked out her prize from the prize tent.

"Here you go Pikachu!" she happily exclaimed as she handed the electrical pokemon its prize wacan berry and patted its head, "That was some amazing battling!"

"Pika! Pika!" it happily replied before chomping down on its treat.

"I don't know Red. I think I'm getting pretty good at this battling thing." Leaf confidently noted, but was only met with an arms crossed Red, with a look that said: " _ **You've still got a way to go**_."

"You….do realize that you're using are MY Pokemon….right?" he noted, chuckling at the ensuing pouty face that was made at him, "Perhaps it's time we looked into getting you one of your own?"

"Really?!" Leaf gasped, surprised that Red would even suggest such a thing.

"Of course." he reassured, gently placing his hand on Leaf's shoulder as he explained, "We'll just have to find the right one that suits you!"

The brunette haired girl could barely contain her excitement. For years she'd dreamed of having a pokemon of her own and the past few months of using Red's Pikachu to battle made it feel like she really did own one.

In an instant, Leaf's mind began to flood with ideas of who her ideal partner should be. There were so many choices to consider that she didn't even know where to begin.

However, as she proceeded to ponder pokemon after pokemon, a sudden realization came crashing down on her causing Leaf to sigh with disappointment. "As great as that sounds….I can't…..." she muttered, her voice trailing off as she disappointingly looked skyward.

Confused by her sudden change in demeanor, Red decided to inquire. "What are you talking about?" he asked as she shook her head at him.

"Come on Red! You know my apartment doesn't allow pokemon in the building!"

Red sighed deeply. He wasn't stupid; she had mentioned that to him back in one of her numerous messages to him prior.

"W-well….what if you didn't liv-"

In an instant, Red closed his mouth. This was not something he could just ask her outside the prize tent at the battle square. No…this was something that needed to be done in a more….special location and Red knew just the place.

"What if I….what?" Leaf understandably wondered and only became more curious as Red proceeded to continue sputtering about.

"U-umm…I-I'll ask you later!" he stammered as he quickly grabbed her hand and began tugging her forward, "Come on! Let's go get some ice cream!"

Unsure and admittedly a bit excited to find out what kind of question Red wanted to ask, Leaf happily followed the pokemon centre owner to the little ice cream parlor they had come to know all too well.

* * *

Carrying out their standard tradition; the two quickly grabbed their tasty treats and began making their way up the hill known as "The Special Spot".

It didn't take them long to reach the top and as they overlooked Saffron in each other's arms, Red finally asked the question he had been longing to ask, with Leaf's response being as one would expect.

"I-I don't know Red…." Leaf stammered, leaning back into Red's chest and blushing faintly at the idea that he had just proposed to her.

At the other end of the spectrum, Red felt like his heart was going to burst. After all the worrying he had done today over what her decision would be, the fact that she didn't say " _ **No**_ " had put him at ease. "I know it's a big decision for you….but I'm ready if you are." he acknowledged as he watched Leaf nervously glance around.

Right now, there was a lot of deliberating going on inside of the former daycare owner's head and despite no response coming out of her mouth the first five times she opened it, one finally came.

"I-it's just…" she stammered, still trying to wrap her head around Red's sudden request, "Where will I say?"

"My place." he nonchalantly replied causing Leaf to cock an eyebrow.

"Is it big enough?"

"I…can't really say…" Red honestly admitted, nervously scratching his head before he turned to Leaf and happily declared, "But! It's got a double bed!"

No sooner did he say that and Leaf burst into a fit of laughter. Out of all things for Red to say to try and sweeten the deal, that had to be the lamest excuse the pokemon centre owner could have ever given her.

Red couldn't help but laugh as well and tightened his grip on Leaf's waist as she turned to face him, "Okay! Okay! In all seriousness." he stated as he composed himself and attempted to reiterate his question, "Haven't you….ever lived with anyone before?"

Red watched as Leaf's smile slowly faded fand quickly shook her head. "No….I wanted to but it never happened…." she admitted before throwing Red's question right back at him, "Have you?"

Just like Leaf, Red's face stiffened slightly as his eyes darted to his sleeping yellow partner. "….just Pikachu here." he stated before suddenly snapping his fingers, "Oh! There was this one time I tried to own Magicarp….but all it ended up doing was splashing about!"

The two chuckled and finally done with beating around the bush, Red sighed as reluctantly revealed. "No….no….I haven't…." he admitted before gently taking Leaf's hand in his own and proclaiming, "I've never asked anybody to before…."

Red watched as Leaf's eyes widened, her heart fluttering as she felt the gentle touch of his hand stroking her own. Living with someone had been her dream for so long and…..of all people to ask her…..

"Lea-"

Without warning, Red found himself staggering back as Leaf suddenly pressed her lips against his, falling back onto the ground as she kissed him harder than she ever had before.

With his body easing into the grass, Red responded by pulling her in close and feeling the soft touch of her lips as they slowly osculated against his. After worrying all day, he had done it and deep down, this is what they had both wanted for so long now.

"….let's go then….." Leaf quietly mouthed as she slowly parted her lips from his.

"Go….where?" Red mouthed back, his eyes still closed as he peacefully lied on the grass, still trying to take in everything that had just happened.

A playful smirk formed on Leaf's face as she teasingly stared down at her red-capped partner. She knew what she wanted and since he offered…..

"Where do you think silly?" she teased as she leaned down to his ear and whispered, "…..your house of course!"

Immediately, Red's eyes shot open as Leaf suddenly grabbed his arm, "N-now?!" he stammered as the brunette haired girl forcefully hulled him to his feet.

"No….tommrorow Red…." she dully replied before rolling her eyes and stating, "Of course now! I want to see what it looks like!"

Red didn't know how to react. He was at least hoping for a day or….even a few hours to get the house ready for her arrival and despite things not turning out the way he'd planned, Red knew he could only reply with.

"O-okay!"

"Whoo! Hoo!" Leaf cheered, pumping her fist in excitement, "Let's go!"

With that, the two made their way to the edge of the hill and Red could feel the sweat begin to roll down his forehead as he was dragged forward. Her seeing his house wasn't what he was worried about. It was what she would potentially see when she saw his house that was the problem.

Regardless, there was no way Red could possibly back down now and was currently en route to his house with Leaf in tow.

* * *

As their destination drew closer and closer, Leaf could barely contain her excitement. Despite being with Red for some time now, she had never once asked to see his house and would usually just settle for seeing him outside of work or asking him to come over to her place. Perhaps there was still some lingering fear that what happened the last time she'd asked someone to move in with her would happen again, but Leaf knew that was a poor excuse. She had known Red for a long time now and if there was one thing he was good at, it was keeping his word. He wouldn't lead her astray and as they walked up the steps to his house, the reality that she was actually going to be living here really began to sink in.

"Oh Red! This is so exciting!" Leaf exclaimed, shaking Red's arm as he fiddled with his keys.

"Pika! Pika!"

"Easy there you two!" Red chuckled as he finally managed to find the key to his house, "I still have to unlock the door."

In no time the door to Red's house swung open and Leaf gasped as she saw the interior.

"Sorry that's it's a bit messy, I didn't have any time to prepare for your arrival." The red-capped boy apologized as he placed his hands on Leaf's shoulders, "Here, let me get your coat."

The brunette haired girl happily obliged as Red gently took her coat off and began to walk around.

Compared to her apartment, Red's house was much bigger than she was used to and she had to admit, for a guy, Red kept his place rather clean.

The first thing she took notice of, aside from all the really nice furniture, was the many pictures that lined the walls, and Leaf smiled as she saw a picture of a young Red with a bunch of Pokemon behind him.

"Who are these little guys Red?" she asked as he walked up behind her.

"Oh, that was my old team back when I wanted to be a Pokemon trainer."

Leaf was quick to notice the hint of sadness in his voice as she turned to face him.

"That was really your dream wasn't it?"

"Yeah…it was…." he sadly replied before quickly pepping up and noting, "….but…believe me when I say, I have no regrets where I wound up in life."

Not wanting to delve any deeper, Leaf nodded as they continued their walk around Red's house, getting to see and hear about all kinds of pictures he had of his family, friends, and Pokémon he'd met along the way. It was a very enlightening experience for the former daycare owner and in that moment Leaf realized something. Despite all the talks she had with Red online, there was still so much to learn about him and couldn't help but wonder just how much more she would discover once they began living together.

* * *

After reminiscing for what seemed like forever, Red froze as Leaf suddenly walked up to a door with a huge smile on her face.

"Is that….what I think it is?" she teasingly wondered causing Red to slowly nod in response.

"Y-Yeah….that's the bedroom."

No sooner did he say that and Leaf squealed with excitement. "Oh boy!" she exclaimed as she waved her finger in front of his face, "Red! You give me 5 minutes in there and I will be able to give you a FULL analysis on yourself."

"Y-you'll wha-"

Before Red even had a chance to comprehend what she just said, Leaf had already bolted into his room. "I'll only be a minute!" she yelled out before slamming the door behind her.

Red was speechless and the only thing he could think of was, " _Oh god please tell me I didn't leave anything I shouldn't have in there!_ "

Minute after minute passed as Red stood outside his room waiting for Leaf to emerge and as nervous as he was wondering what Leaf would find, there was also a part of him that was a little….curious as well.

Just what was she was doing in there that was taking so long? Was she really just investigating his room or was she doing….something else? He desperately wanted to find out and with curiosity quickly taking over, Red slowly tip-toed over to his bedroom door to investigate.

Just one quick look, that's all he wanted and was just about to turn the door-knob when suddenly Leaf called out to him.

"You can come in now!"

"O-okay!"

Unsure what to expect when he entered, Red slowly opened his door and what he saw inside caused every muscle in his body to tense up. There was Leaf, side-lying on his bed with one hand propping up her head and the other one draped over the side. It was a sight that Red could never have expected and he just stood there staring at her blankly as she took one of her fingers and urged him forward.

"What do you think Red?" she said in a sultry voice, "Do you want to paint me like one of your Kalosian girls?"

The red-capped boy didn't know what to make of what he saw and despite trying to move his mouth, no words would come out. All he could do was stare at her, eyes wide and mouth agape, the sight of which caused Leaf to burst out laughing.

"Hee! Hee!" she giggled as she sat up on the bed, "I was just acting out a scene from a movie I saw last night!"

"O-oh really?" Red stammered as he finally came to his senses, "T-that's good because I'm not a very good painter and I don't think I would do you justice!"

Leaf giggled at him once again, causing a bead of sweat to roll down Red's forehead. She had him right in the palm of her hand and Leaf knew it. "S-so" Red stammered as he tried to return to the subject at hand, "What did you think of my room?"

"Fascinating!" Leaf praised as she suddenly pulled a huge stack of papers from behind her back, "I'm surprised you're such an avid reader of the Kanto Times."

Red watched as she took one of the papers and sighed with relief as she curiously began to sift through it. "I wouldn't say AVID reader. It's more of an obligation I made." he clarified, remembering his promise to Yellow before they parted, "I also read Trainer Monthly."

Upon hearing that, Leaf curiously looked up from the paper and smiled. "Indeed….you have a whole collection under this bed from what I've seen sweetie." she noted before cocking her eyebrow and slyly adding, "Though I must admit I was a bit disappointed that I didn't find anything more….risqué."

Red could feel his whole body shudder before forcing the biggest grin he could for Leaf to mask his true emotions. "O-oh! Not this guy! Hahaha!" he laughed and scratched his head, all the while thinking to himself, " _Note to self: when I find the room that they're in, I need to throw them out!_ "

Leaf giggled as well, if only because of how ridiculous he looked right now. "I'm surprised, this bed is a lot bigger than I expected." she noted as Red walked up to her.

"Well, it IS a double!"

Leaf nodded as she gently patted a part of the bed beside her. "Come join me…."

Red's face was just getting brighter by the second. "N-now?!" he stammered as his mind began to race a mile a minute. Granted he wasn't opposed to the idea and the way that Leaf looked sitting atop his bed was definitely tempting. Yet as much as he wanted to, Red couldn't stop the nervous feeling that was starting to take over and quickly thought of a way to back out

"B-but! It's not bedtime YEEETT-"

Tired of him stuttering and stammering about, Leaf rolled her eyes and in a scenario that was all too familiar to the both of them, grabbed a hold of his collar and pulled him into bed with her.

"There…that's better…" she sighed in content while wrapping her arms around him.

Completely caught off guard and embarrassed by everything that had just happened, Red blurted the first words that came to mind. "Would you stop doing that!" he yelled in embarrassment as he turned to face her, "I don't need you ripping another shi….."

He trailed off as he saw her shimmering eyes gazing back at him. This was really happening right now; the girl he once considered his online friend, whom he once had no idea what she looked like, was actually lying in his bed beside him.

The moment was so surreal and in his silence, Leaf spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Red sighed as he was finally brought back to reality, "I just never thought this day would come…."

Leaf sighed as well. "I know what you mean…." she whispered as she began to trace his face with one of her fingers, "I think I'm beginning to warm up to this idea of living together."

Red chuckled. "But…you haven't even seen the rest of the house yet." he noted as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.

"I know that and I want too…but…can we just stay here for a bit…."

Red blushed as she nuzzled her head against his chest and couldn't say no. "Okay…." he whispered as he pulled her in close, "We'll stay here for a bit…."

For the next few minutes, the two just laid there in silence with nothing but the sound of each other's breath echoing throughout the room. To think that at one point in time, the idea meeting and being together was nothing more than a pipe dream for the two of them. But….this was real, their touch was real, no longer were they separated by computer screens or conflicting occupations or….anything. They were together and right now, no force on earth could split them apart.

* * *

Upon finally deciding to resume their little tour, Red decided that he and Leaf should stop by the kitchen for a quick drink before proceeding any further.

"Hey Red?" Leaf curiously asked as she pointed to a door that branched off the hall from the kitchen. "Where does that door lead too?"

"Oh, that's computer room." Red nonchalantly replied, not realizing that by revealing that, it had made a huge smirk form on Leaf's face.

"The compuuuuuter room huh…."

Carefully putting down her drink, Leaf was just about to stand up from the stool she was sitting on when Red suddenly yelled out.

"Wait Leaf! I don't think you should go in there!"

"Why not?"

"B-because!"

Quickly noticing how flush his face was going, Leaf decided to lay it on even more. "What? Something on there you can't show me Red?" she teased as his face turned even brighter.

"N-no! It's just-"

"Oh! You are SOOOO busted mister!" Leaf exclaimed as she ran over to the door as fast as her feet could carry her. Fully anticipating to see some naked chick on Red's screen, Leaf giggled as she flung the door open, only to see a sight that completely caught her off-guard.

There, illumined on Red's PC was something familiar to her, something…..she hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity.

 **From:LUCKYGIRL**

 **Hey! I hope you don't mind me personal messaging you, but I really wanted to thank you for your advice the other day!**

 **Honestly, I never thought I'd ever find a way to cure that Pokemonitis and yet….you knew. It was incredible and to be honest…I kinda view you as my knight in shining armor :P**

 **Thanks again and if you ever have any Pokemon questions that you're unsure of, feel free to give me a shout!**

 **I promise I'll be there if you need any help ;)**

Leaf could only stare at the screen in awe as a flood memories came back to her.

"This is…."

"It's the first message you'd ever sent me." Red calmly explained as he slowly walked up behind her, "I was….going back and reading them last night."

Hearing his voice, Leaf quickly spun around. "Y-you were….." she could barely form a sentence, "But…why?"

"B-because…." Red paused sighing deeply as he thought about the real reason why he wanted to look at those messages. Truth be told, to most people his reason would be seen as silly; but considering the person he was talking to, he knew she would understand, "I wanted…to look back on how we came to this point."

"Red…."

"Leaf, these messages you left me are all cherished memories of mine." he stated with content, "…and this was the message that started it all."

Still in complete shock, Leaf took a minute to read the message for herself. In all the time they had spent messaging each other, she never even once considered going back to re-read her old ones and had to admit, this first one sounded kinda silly.

"Did I seriously use the phase knight in shining armor?" she jokingly mused to herself.

"Hey! I thought it was pretty cute!"

Happy that she had calmed down, Red watched as Leaf slowly sat down in his computer chair and began curiously scrolling through their old messages.

"Hee! Hee!" she giggled causing him to confusingly look over at her.

"What's up?"

"I'm just reading one of your messages about how you would send me a bouquet of poke balls because flowers are too tacky!"

Red chuckled as well before scrolling to another post further down the list. "Oh yeah! Well, you should read this one you sent me saying that since you couldn't send a picture of yourself, you'd send me a picture of your panties instead!"

"WHAT?! I NEVER SAID THAT!" she exclaimed before Red scrolled to said message and read it for herself, "Oh wow….I did….."

* * *

After reading what felt like 100 messages of their old banter with one another and laughing hysterically at just how ridiculous some of them were, the mood seemingly took a quieter turn as they approached the darker period of Leaf's life.

"Hey…are you going to be okay reading some of these?" Red wondered as he noticed that Leaf had become increasingly silent as they looked through some of the messages detailing her troubles at the daycare

"I'm okay Red…" she replied and despite forcing the best smile she could, Leaf wasn't feeling all that good. Just seeing all the emotions she'd poured out to Red at that time, upset her to no end and the fact that he stuck by her through it all really showed just what kind of guy he really was.

"….I really put you through a lot didn't I?" she suddenly spoke up causing Red to look at her confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well just think about it Red." she quickly retorted "How much stress I caused you at this time….both on and offline."

Red sighed as he took a minute to think back. Was it stressful constantly having to give her online persona advice while furiously battling her in real life? Of course, it was. It was a very stressful time in Red's life and yet, strange as it was, he wouldn't change it for the world.

"Hey…I understand that it was a rough time for you." he reassured as he instinctively tightened his grip around her waist, "….and believe me…..I was no better myself back then."

Now it was Leaf's turn to give Red a confusingly look. "How so?" she wondered as he sighed deeply.

"Have you forgotten? I…took advantage of you…..and then….later…..I even stood you up." Red reluctantly admitted while glancing away, "….and yet….even after I deceived you…..you never gave up on me….."

Red could feel his eyes begin to water. It was true, even if they didn't want to admit it, there were definitely times they hurt one another…..some….worse than others. Whether it was it using underhanded tactics against one another or staying things they shouldn't have or even withholding one's identity from the other, the road to where they were now was not an easy one.

However, they also couldn't dwell on the past. What had happened, had happened and there was nothing they could do to change that. All they could do now was accept what happened and move on.

That was it….it was time to move on and as such Leaf took her hand and clasping it around Red's face, turned him towards her and stated: "I could never give up on you Red." she passionately whispered to him with tears in her eyes, "We promised to always be there for one another and no matter what, I'd always be there for my mystery man."

Red could barely catch his breath as those words came out of her mouth and bit his lip as he stared into her eyes. "I could never give up on you either Luckygirl." he whispered back before taking both of her hands in his own and vowing, "Back then…now…and forever….I promise I will always be there for you as well."

"...forever and ever."

With that said, the two tightly embraced one another before finishing their scroll through memory lane. For both Red and Leaf, it was strange to think of a time where they didn't know one another. A time when….. all they had was an imaginary picture of who it was sitting on the other end of that computer screen.

It was definitely a bittersweet feeling and while many laughs and tears were shed as they looked through their history, it also served as a stark reminder that….it could never be replicated.

The mystery surrounding the identities of LUCKYGIRL and THECHAMPION151 were solved and all those nights of dreaming of getting together would soon be a distant memory.

* * *

It's often said that we each have chapters in our lives and every time you move to a new chapter, you have to leave an old one behind. It was a reality that Red and Leaf had to accept no matter how hard it was and upon shutting down Red's computer, had effectively brought an end that chapter of their lives.

It was time to move onto a new chapter, one that they would now share side by side without the barriers of monitors and ambiguity keeping them apart. However, despite all the new memories that were about to be made and all the old ones that would fade away, there was three words that, no matter what, they could never forget.

Those three fateful words that'd brought them together:

You've...Got...Pokemail

The End

* * *

 **….and that's it ladies and gentleman, another story finished and….wow…after almost 2 years, it's finally over.**

 **What can I say? I still can't believe that watching a simple movie on the TV one night inspired this whole thing and for those of you who've never watched You've Got Mail (Which I'm assuming is pretty much all of you) I would say….if you're curious...give it a watch, if only to see just how both similar and yet different this story is from the movie its based on.**

 **Honestly, even though I figured nobody had probably watched the movie, I still tried my best to make it unique from the source material as I could, but there are still some moments that are taken almost line by line from the movie and if you ever watch it, I guarantee you'll pick them up right away.**

 **So…that being said….I guess it's time for my final thoughts on this story and to be honest, I've always been a bit…mixed on it. While I did enjoy writing it, I also found it very hard to get invested into it compared to For The Longest Time. There were a lot of times that I would go weeks and sometimes almost a month without writing and that was a problem I never had with the old story.**

 **That could also be said for the story itself. Granted there's a lot of moments in it that I really like and in terms of writing it was 1000X better than my original story. However, in terms of "specialness" to me, I still consider my original story to be the better of the two. At the end of the day, this story is based off a movie and no matter how much I modified it, I can never truly consider it my own personal work. Other than that, I wasn't too crazy how certain characters personalities had to be changed to fit the mood sometimes *cough* Leaf *cough* and there were also some…plot lines that I wasn't too thrilled about writing and I'm not going to say what they were, but let's just say…..if they weren't in the movie, I would never have put them in in the first place. Annnndddd without a doubt, my biggest criticism I have is that, no matter how hard I try, I'm still terrible when it comes to descriptions; dialogue, that's fine, but descriptions I just can't do. Don't know how many times I used the phrase "shook head" or "chuckled" but I honestly couldn't think anything else to describe some of the scenarios and it's something I hope to improve.**

 **All in all, despite my criticism, I did enjoy writing this story and I do have a soft spot for a lot of its chapters. As for my favorite chapter…I know 4 and 8 are the big fan favorite chapters and I'm going to have to go with 8. I remember actually writing stuff out for it back when I was still doing chapter 3 because I had so many good ideas and being upset cause it was sooo far off. Then when it finally got written and turned out as awesome as it was….I couldn't be happier with it. It's such a roller coaster of emotions and I love it.**

 **Now, before I go, there are 2 big things I need to address.**

 **First….and I know I sound like a broken record saying this, but I really want to thank all those who've taken the time to review the story. I know I've lost some of you along the way and hey, with the story taking almost 2 years to complete and sometimes having 3 month breaks in between, I don't blame anybody if they couldn't follow anymore.**

 **However, there are those who have stuck around (some since the beginning) and all I have to say is….wow, thank you so much for sticking with me for that long! You guys are awesome and I'd like to give my personal thanks to some very special people.**

 **Sarah Kay Writer : You have been a big inspiration for me, in more ways than you know and fun fact: Ever since I began this story, we've had a little rivalry to see who's story would get the most favs and ironically at the time this chapter's going up we are completely even, so I guess it's a draw lol. In all honesty, I can't thank you enough, you've really changed my life and if you're interested, check out her story: In This Moment for some more RedXLeaf goodness**

 **Armand- san (You're still ND to me!) : You were my first reviewer I ever had and even after almost 3 years, we're still going! Thanks so much for being there and I hope things go well on your end!**

 **122 Generation : From one fellow Canadian to another, thank you so much for your input! I still can't believe how alike our two stories are and for those of you looking for a CynthiaXSteven fic or something similar to this one, check out his story Culinary Rivals.**

 **Jordanzz : Hey! Anyone with the same name as yours truly is awesome in my books. Thanks so much for all the times you inspired me to keep on going (Seriously! There was quite a few!) and for all your kind words! Cheers!**

The3vilFighter **: My friend with the hazel colored eyes, thank you for all your support. Honestly, I don't think chapter 6 would have gotten done if it wasn't for your encouragement! Thanks so much!**

 **BlackDragonShinigami : Your reviews always brought a smile to my face, thanks so much for always being there!**

 **xaxiel1572 : Your reviews may have been short and sweet, but you were always there to give me your input! Thank you so much!**

 **Cosmic Guardian : Awesome name by the way. Thanks so much for your input, I'm glad you enjoyed the story!**

 **Kiss A Squirrel : What can I say? Never in a million years did I ever expect to put a squirrel kissing scene in my story, but it happened and I can only hope it was to your satisfaction. Honestly….as insane as your reviews were, they always made my day when I saw one in my alert box. Thanks so much for sticking around as long as you have!**

 **Also a huge shout out to: xXxCrimsonxMoonxXx, kageofdoom, WolfShadow96, rylek196, Ysadefgtu, iwannaread000, Cherry Ninja, humble servent, Darude Sandstorm, DimensionBlade 1.2, JerryKat, DozenxWound, AsBsCs, Klaw117, Knightmare, What's my name, You, jordanlink7856, pls listen, Bombman159, Lief 17, nvnightrider9, RedBluelife, iwannaread000, TheyCallMeBeanz, AceTrainerLeaf and all the guests who have reviewed over the past 2 years, thank you so much for your input. Honestly you don't know how much your reviews gave me the momentum to keep going even when I had kinda lost mine at times.**

 **And to all those who have Faved and Followed, thank you so much! I still can't believe how many of you there ended up being and I can only hope that this last chapter satisfied you all.**

 **Now, with that done, on to the second thing I need to address…..the future. As this story has no doubt made it very apparent, writing is not very easy for me to do anymore. A lot has changed in my life since I started writing in 2015 and its still continuing to change to this day.**

 **That being said…..in terms of new, unique stories, this one is probably going to be my last. Now before anybody asks, I do have 2 very good reasons for this. The first being the reason you see above. The second reason is simply because….I don't think I can reinvent the wheel again.**

 **As much as I have tried to make this story as unique as I could, I couldn't help but find times that I was writing stuff that felt too similar to For The Longest Time and I fear that if I made a new RedXLeaf story, it would either be too similar to the previous ones or too different that the characters would end up betraying my original vision for them (Heck! It already kind of did at some points in this story).**

 **Now…I'm sure some of you are asking: Jordan, if that's the case, why not just write for another ship then? But that's just the thing….I don't want to write for another ship. Any other ship I write for (and trust me it wouldn't be Pokemon related) would just end up sounding the same.**

 **I think part of what makes my stories what they are is because …this is what I perceive my ideal type of relationship being. Let's face it Luckyshipping/Burnleafshipping is a reflection of who I am and regardless of what some of you may think, if I did write for another ship, it would never be as good because it wasn't coming truly from the heart.**

 **That being said, does that mean there's never going to be a chance of me writing again? No….and if I do get an idea in my head, I'll definitely make another story, but as it stands right now, this is the final unique one.**

 **Now, before I do potentially retire, there is one last thing I want to do and that is fulfill a promise I made a long time ago to revamp For The Longest Time. I said I was going to do it and you'd better believe that I will do it.**

 **Now, because it's a revamp and not a new story, I have no way of alerting everyone when a chapter has been updated so my plan is this: When the revamp is completed, I will post an update chapter so that everybody will know when its done. I will also update the front page of the story to notify what chapters have been updated if you want to follow along as well. But, just saying this right now, don't expect the revamp to be done until next year, it will take some time :)**

 **Alright! These final thoughts have gone on WAYYYY to long! In closing, thank you so much once again! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing it.**

 **It was definitely an adventure!**

 **So….for the final time!**

 **Ciao! And thanks for reading!**


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